


Two assholes meet at a party...

by AphroditeB00w



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Character, Comedy, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, M/M, Music AU, Proffessor Sesshomaru, Romance, Slow Burn, Student Inuyasha, Teacher-Student Relationship, asexual sesshomaru, miroku roommate, roomate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 23:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15521175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AphroditeB00w/pseuds/AphroditeB00w
Summary: Inuyasha is finally at music college, pursuing his dream to one day make music and be paid for it. Not as easy as it sounds, since he's on a scholarship, has a part-time job in the midnight hours and suddenly acquires a small puppy... Thing don't exactly start well when he has to rescue a random drunk guy at a party the day before college starts...





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IcyDoodles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyDoodles/gifts).



> WIP. Comments keep me motivated :D

“So it’s Eenoo…”

“Inuyasha.”

“Eenu-asha?”

“No, Inuyasha.”

The girl giggled stupidly, the movement making her drink slosh a little over its brim. “How about I just call you Eenu?”

“How about not,” Inuyasha replied shortly, turning away and leaving the short brunette leaning against the doorjamb where he’d been trying to get his head to stop spinning. The party still pumped around him, the frat house was full to bursting, and it everyone was at least halfway drunk. Most of them properly drunk, and then more so.

He was also quite drunk, and he had a few regrets. He only realised it about 6 drinks in, which was far too late, and the room just kept spinning annoyingly every time he turned a corner too quickly.

Inuyasha hadn’t seen Miroku since they’d walked in the door. Miroku was far more at home in this kind of setting, and was very likely off chasing ass, as usual. Inuyasha wished he had taken Kagome’s advice and stayed in, but a frat party the weekend before class officially started felt like something he should tick off his bucket list. Between part time jobs and full time martial arts, he’d never had a chance to really act his age.

He sort of realised why his mom had downplayed it so much. But with foster moms, there was always the suspicion that they were actually just lying to make sure you grew up a Decent Member of Society. Or maybe that was all moms. He had no basis for comparison.

Either way, he was alone and drunk, at a very loud crowded party, and kept being cornered by loose college girls while he was trying to decide between throwing up and falling down. He needed a dark space, somewhere away. Just to catch his fucking breath at least.

He wandered further into the house, looking for either a familiar face or an empty room somewhere.

-8-

 

 

Sesshomaru was feeling unwell. 

 

Too unwell for one drink to merit, which a small, still sober part of his brain told him was probably because he’d been punched with an anvil by the guy who had been trying very hard to chat up Rin before her father had arrived on the scene.

 

She hadn’t even argued. Her eyes had gone wide seeing him at the house party, then equal parts ashamed, annoyed and resigned. She simply left the group she’d been standing with and walked out. Sesshomaru knew it, because he followed her out the door and down the steps, deadly silent. He’d waited until the cab had pulled up, she’d gotten in, and he heard the address she gave to the driver. She glanced at him once, not quite repentant, but resigned. Then she’d driven away and he’d been left there, drink still in hand, and sighing.

 

The music blared out of the house, even though the doors and windows were closed. There had been some sort of dark haired, hormone driven young man in there, drooling into Rin’s cleavage…. He turned back with purpose and headed in, throwing the cup he’d hijacked from Rin’s hand and its contents into a shrubbery as he did so.

 

Earlier, he’d been preparing for classes, listing and going over curriculums for the tenth time in his brand new job at this not-bottom-of-the-barrel college. Not that he hadn’t already prepared so many times and had his curriculum planned well into the year. It was when he’d called Rin, and she hadn’t picked up, that he’d started to panic. Not that anyone watching would be able to tell. But after the fifth unanswered call, he’d activated the tracking app on her phone, left the kitchen table he used as an office, and gone to find out exactly what trouble she was in this time.

 

As daughters went, Rin was fairly low maintenance. She didn’t really get into trouble, and she loved Sesshomaru blindly, in spite of the fact that his reserved disposition made him seem more like a bodyguard than a father. Rin seemed to know, without having to hear it, that he loved her dearly, as if picking her out of the crowd at the orphanage had been enough proof to last the rest of her life.

 

When she hadn’t picked up her phone, he’d naturally become insanely worried, and thus angry, so by the time he’d found her there were no words that could explain what his stormy expression was doing so perfectly. The anxious worry still sloshed around in his chest as he pushed his way back into the party, surrounded by drunk, sweaty nearly-adults.

 

The inside of the house was thick with scents: sweat, spilled drinks, hookah smoke, and also probably more than just hookah. Even the ceiling was starting to look hazy. He eyed the press of bodies and wondered if it was even worth the pursuit, but he was too wound up to let it go. He needed not just to solve tonight’s problem, but any future problems Rin might encounter. He had no problem at all with making it publicly known that Rin’s father was ornery, angry and not to be pissed off.

 

So when he found the boy he recalled leaning into Rin’s personal space before, there was no preamble. He tapped his shoulder, and then swung a punch aiming directly for his solar plexus.

While Sesshomaru usually had the upper hand in a fight, due to years of martial arts training, he was not always lucky. This was one of those times, as he realised when the boy staggered back and didn’t back down. Instead he found a fist flying towards his nose, and turned only enough for it to land on his eye socket instead. He reeled. The boy was…no push over. Sesshomaru recalculated quickly, and threw a decisive punch of his own, which landed on the boy’s nose squarely, hard enough for him to actually fall over, out cold.

He looked around at the astonished room, where the others nearby were now standing in different levels of shock.

 

“The girl who was here earlier, is my daughter. And that,” he pointed at the prone body slumped on the couch, “is what you can expect if anyone even thinks of touching her. Understood?”

 

Sesshomaru had perfected the imperial tone of the best teachers of the world, and the students all nodded, some hesitant still not up to speed with proceedings, some much more quickly, very aware of exactly what was going to happen and eyeing Sesshomaru uneasily.

 

He turned to leave, and wobbled.

 

The punch had been…quite hard, even if it had missed his nose, and suddenly the young professor was feeling less than perfect.

 

He needed to rest, just for a moment, until the room stopped spinning, and then find an aspirin or six.

-

 

Inuyasha had found a closet. It wasn’t metaphorical.

 

What it was, was dark, not too full of clothes and had a carpeted floor inside so he could slouch down inside it, close his eyes, and maybe sleep unbothered for an hour or two. Then go home when he was sober enough to walk in straight lines again. He let his head bump against the corner, thinking that he probably shouldn’t be considering sleeping in a fucking closet, but he was also too drunk to make a decisive vote on the thought. So he let himself rest, the thump of music blessedly muted.

 

He hadn’t paid too much attention to exactly where he’d ended up, but he figured it was some kind of spare room. It had a bed, he knew that. He also knew that he didn’t want to be disturbed, and had briefly considered the bed before deciding the closet was a better option for privacy. But he hadn’t been there five minutes when his suspicions were confirmed, and he heard the door of the room open.

 

Well, sort of. Whoever it was, they were struggling with the door handle slightly. He could get that. He’d also fought with the opening briefly before stumbling in. Then it shut again, as Inuyasha guessed by the way the music volume climbed then suddenly dulled again, and then the bed springs gave a soft  _ gloing _ as a body hit the mattress.

 

Inuyasha silently nodded, congratulating himself, because had been right about the closet. Then he hoped vaguely that he wasn’t about to hear some hot and heavy uglies bumping together. He wasn’t sure he could sleep through that…

 

There was a groan, and the bed springs moved again. Not the kind of groan Inuyasha usually associated with pleasure. Then came the slide and bang of drawers being opened and shut, searching in vain for something or the other. For crying in a bucket, he just wanted to sleep… 

 

“What kind of house has no first aid…” he heard a mumble.

 

Huh? The voice was deep, older, and annoyed. Something crashed and was followed by a muffled swear word and groaning, making Inuyasha sigh.

 

“He’s probably not going to shut up…” Inuyasha thought with belaboured resignation and pushed the door to let himself out and help the drunk fucker, but was beaten to it when it opened on its own. Then Inuyasha was rudely kicked about and then sat on, with barely a second to swear. He shoved and elbowed until the idiot was no longer sitting on his stomach, but somehow managed to shove the idiot only further into the tiny closet, and so a tangle of legs and arms later, Inuyasha spat hair out of his mouth and swore.

 

“For fuck’s sake man, the closet is occupied!” he griped at the figure now pressed up against his side still, shifting. Inuyasha pushed some more hair away from his face. “Go find your own. 

You’re not the only one way too drunk right now…”

 

Although, Inuyasha was actually already feeling better. Fast metabolism for the win. But he was still annoyed at having his potential nap interrupted so violently. He tried to extricate himself from the tangle but couldn’t get his leg out…

 

“M’not drunk...” was the grumbled reply.

 

“Sure,” Inuyasha replied, disbelief clear. The lighting was so thin he couldn’t make out what was where, no matter how much he shifted. He yanked his leg, trying to get it out from underneath the bulk of the other man, causing a grunt.

 

“Get off.” He demanded. Then a hand came out and grabbed at him. Since the closest thing to the pawing hand was hair, it got a fistful and yanked Inuyasha back into the closet. The guy had overestimated though, and Inuyasha found his face crashing against someone else’s. As kisses went, it was terrible, and hurt his nose and forehead as they smacked together.

 

Inuyasha tried pulling himself away but was held fast. “What the fuck man?”

 

“I’m not drunk.” The voice was very close this time, and Inuyasha felt the vibration of it against his hand where it had landed against the guy’s torso. “Someone hit me. Very hard. I can’t stand.”

 

It took a moment for Inuyasha to process that he hadn’t smelled liquor on the breath he’d breathed in, and this guys was a) probably telling the truth and b) probably in trouble.

 

“Well fuck, ok, but let me go, Christ…”

 

He was let go and Inuyasha fell backwards, half out of the closet, dragging some hanging clothes along with him.

 

“Just needed somewhere to…rest...” the guy went on.

 

Inuyasha finally managed to pull his left leg out, which freed up some of the rest of him. “Yeah fine, but I was...hang on.” He peered back into the gloom at the shadowy figure. “Dude, you can’t sleep now. Your brain is probably bleeding or something.”

 

There was a faint huff. “My brain isn’t bleeding.”

 

“Someone hit you and you can’t even stand? Yeah, sure, your 100% ok.” Inuyasha scoffed, pulling himself upright and testing his own head. He wasn’t sober, but he wasn’t dead drunk anymore. Sighing hugely, he said, “Come on, get up.”

 

There was silence from the dark closet floor. “What…”

 

“You can’t sleep now. You’ll die or something. I read that somewhere.”

 

“You read that somewhere.” The guy replied flatly, unimpressed.

 

Inuyasha bridled. “Yeah I did. And I’m gonna find the closest emergency room and dump your ass there.”

 

“What…I mean, why?”

 

“Oh my god, are you always this reluctant or am I just lucky tonight?” Inuyasha griped, bending down and finding the guys arm. “Come on!”

 

“You don’t even know me.”

 

“Yeah well, unlike you, I’m not an asshole. I don’t have to know you to help you.”

 

“I’m not an asshole, you moron.”

 

“Well I’m sure it is your sparkling personality that invited someone to punch you hard enough that you can’t walk straight?”

During this exchange, Inuyasha had managed to heave the guy upward and wrestle him into an awkward lean. Now he was eyeing the door, thinking about how the wonderful journey he had ahead of him with a semi-compos mentis  stranger hanging on his right hand side. Despite his complaints, the guy was making an effort to shuffle alongside him and they finally made it to the door. 

After playing a slightly awkward balancing game of trying-not-to-drop-the-barely-conscious-stranger-on-the-floor-and-open-the-door-at-the-same-time, Inuyasha stopped, a little shocked. This guy…had white hair?

 

Inuyasha hadn’t met anyone else with white hair. It was the sort of melanin deficiency that wasn’t exactly common. He decided the light was too bad and he was still too drunk to really assess if it was real or dye right then, and shook his head.

 

Now to find an ER, he thought to himself and descended back into the frat party.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't be late, don't be late. don't be late...

He wasn’t exactly late, not yet. He still had nineteen more seconds. 

 

There was a silent countdown happening in his head, in large red flashing numbers, as he pushed his way through the corridors searching for his class. He wasn’t in the habit of being late for his classes, but he’d heard that being late for Music Theory 101 was not something he’d get to repeat.

 

Professor Uchida was as new as any freshman there, but he already had a reputation for having a huge stick up his ass. Maybe it had something to do with a music career so suddenly aborted at a crux point in his young life, but he was a nearly thirty-year-old professor now, and his reputation of absolutely no tolerance for tardiness preceded him. Not that Inuyasha knew much more than recent gossip.

 

Being that he needed all the credits he could scrounge together, and didn’t want a single chance of losing his scholarship, he skidded around the corner and made it into class  #215 with ten seconds to spare. There were giggles as he flung himself sideways into the closest seat, nearly emptying his messenger bag onto the floor.

 

He’d made it. He caught his breath, puffing it out again with the satisfaction of being  _ nearly _ late but  _ actually _ on time, and looked up to see the professor looking directly at him, standing beside the door.

 

His fingers twisted, and the door locked with a click.

 

“For future reference, I prefer my students not to arrive in the nick of time, no matter how amusing such an entrance would be.”

 

Inuyasha was staring at the professor as he walked back to his desk, which was placed in the front-centre of the lecture theatre. His chilly tone had completely deflated any kind of levity of the moment, and the hall was quiet. This kind of teacher made sure from the get-go that he was no one to mess with. Tomfoolery would not be tolerated either. But that was not why Inuyasha had his eyes glued to the man’s stiff back, mouth agape, his satchel still clutched in his hand.

 

It was the bastard from the frat party.

 

“You’re…” he started but trailed off when very cold, pale eyes were turned on him. He felt the attention of every other eye in the room too, and swallowed.

 

A brow arched. “Since roll call was already completed before you crashed into your seat, I will assume you are Inuyasha Uchida.”

 

It wasn’t a question but Inuyasha still answered. “Uh, yeah.”

 

_ And you’re the bastard from the frat party! _ He screamed in his head.

 

“Mr. Uchida, I hope I made my personal opinion on your near lateness clear?”

 

Inuyasha felt pricked, irritated. “Yeah, pretty clear. Well done.”

 

There was an abruptly aborted snigger from someone behind him, and it echoed in the suddenly chilly room. The professor’s eyes widened for a second, and if possible looked even tighter-assed than before.

 

“And since it is my personal assessment of you that will allow you to pass this class, which is a full 10-month course, I would suggest to you, as well as everyone else in the room, to make sure you stay on the good side of it.”

 

Inuyasha clenched his jaw. Mother had always told him his tongue was quick but not very clever, and so the best thing to do would be to learn how to keep it from waggin’ in the first place. He nodded once, slowly. The professor’s gaze snapped away, as if Inuyasha were suddenly very boring, turning his laconic gaze towards the rest of the class.

 

“If you don’t have your textbooks, make sure you acquire by the end of today because you will have assignments based on today’s lecture. We will begin with Barron’s Music Theory 101, turn to page 15…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose not to include the entire ER scene, but it will be covered later on in the story. I just wanted to move things along. 
> 
> If it's not clear, Inuyasha recognizes Sesshomaru but it's not mutual at all XD


	3. 3

Rin handed him a cup of warm tea, spiced with turmeric and cinnamon. Sesshomaru eyed it skeptical, but the headache was too severe and any tea was better than no tea. She also handed him two white tablets. He levelled a flat look at his adopted daughter which she completely ignored.

 

“Drink the pills, Dad. You’re getting extra grouchy.” She said evenly, reaching for her own steaming cup of herbal remedy on the coffee table beside the couch.  Sesshomaru frowned. Some more.

 

“I am not.” He objected, still holding the cup in one hand and pills in the other.

 

“Sure. And you putting the fear of God into your class today was a totally good move.”

Sesshomaru blinked. Partly from the rhythmic pain in his head, partly because she wasn’t wrong. He could always rely of Rin to shove his mistakes in his face. His daughter folded herself up on the second hand sofa, leaning against the one arm and shoving her feet under his thigh for warmth, completely at ease. He gave in, and took the damn pills.

 

“I wasn’t out of line. The boy was late and preferred to make a show of his mistake than own up to it.”

 

Rin’s young face was incredulous for a second, then she burst out with a giggle. “He was just late. Maye he wasn’t elegant about it, but he was probably just terrified of missing your class. The whole college knows you lock the door exactly on time.”

 

Sesshomaru breathed in the steam from his drink. “I cannot tolerate that kind of attitude or behaviour in my classes, Rin.”

 

“Just because I haven’t been in your class before doesn’t mean I don’t know what you’re like. And I know that if you didn’t have a migraine, you probably would have made the guy leave.” 

Rin replied and tilted her head. “You would probably feel better if you slept more. Sleep is a healer.”

 

“Yes, yes, alright.” Sesshomaru grouched, and sipped the tea.

 

“I see the base I gave you is covering the bruise well at least. Who knew the guy would throw a punch that actually got you.”

“I would prefer it if you didn’t go to any more college parties and flirt with anyone, punch or no punch.” Sesshomaru retorted, his displeasure clear. Rin only rocked forward, and planted quick, featherlite kiss on his cheek before rocking back. 

 

“Thanks for defending my honour, Dad.“ She grinned, brilliant and pleased.

 

“In fact if you ever flirt with anyone again, I’ll UN-adopt you.”

 

“Grouchy.” She commented. “The pills should help. Just take them and don’t make me make you, k?”

 

Sesshomaru said nothing, only closed his eyes, and leaned back, resting his head on an overstuffed pillow. He tried to will the migraine away, and relax his tense body. Teaching was still new enough to him to be stressful, and the college….suddenly being surrounded by music again made his head whisper and fret with old feelings. He was still adjusting, having a massive black eye and a minor concussion to boot didn’t help.

 

“Did you ever find out who the person was? Who took you to the ER?” Rin piped up, her dark eyes concerned. “That scared me to death you know.”

 

“Now maybe you won’t go to any more parties.”

 

“Trying to guilt me into ignoring the joys of youth won’t help your case.”

 

“I live in hope.” Sesshomaru responded flatly. “And no. He did not leave a name.” and he vaguely recalled the man being fairly unhappy about helping him in the first place. Well, at least he’d made sure he was safe before vanishing. It irked Sesshomaru to have a debt unpaid, but he supposed he should rather count it as one of the very few blessings he’d had in his life.

 

“Well I wish I knew. I’d kiss him as thanks.”

 

Sesshomaru heaved a sighed. “Must you insist on behaving as if virtue were optional?”

 

“Virtue  _ is _ optional.” Rin replied succinctly. “And it’s just a kiss. Not my maidenhead.”

 

Sesshomaru flinched. “Don’t ever say that word to me again. You’ll give me grey hairs.”

 

“Like you could ever find them in all that white.”

 

“When I first saw you, you were such a quiet, polite little girl.” Sesshomaru commented, cracked an eye open and trying for a glare.

 

She shrugged, finishing her tea. “I was faking.” Then she smiled. “But I do love you Dad. “

Sesshomaru accepted the brief kiss and squeezed hug, deciding it wasn’t worth the effort an 

argument about virtue and maidenheads. He let her go towards her room, and glanced wearily at his own satchel, internally groaning.

 

No rest for the wicked. He gave himself another moment of rest before curling his body forward, already thinking of the endless work he had to accomplish before the next day.

 

-8-

 

“For fuck’s sake!” Inuyasha cursed at the laptop screen, and smacking the side of it. “Miroku, lend me your laptop.”

 

“Not a chance.” Miroku replied instantly. “I prefer to have my hardware un-abused.”

 

“This thing is older than me and I just need to submit this fucking assignment. Please.”

 

“No way.”

 

“I’ll get out of the room tonight and you can bring over someone trashy without me getting in the way?”

 

At this Miroku actually turned his way. The pastor’s son sat cross legged on his bed, a guitar on his lap and strumming it tunelessly. It was a look. He’d even explained it to Inuyasha once. The little ponytail, the guitar that he couldn’t play, the faded cotton clothes…it was all designed to give off a slightly poetic, internally tragic, aura. That, his natural good looks and his outrageously flirty nature made it so that Inuyasha often had to vacate the dorm they shared. That or be asked to join in/listen to unpleasant squishy noises and happy hums.

 

“Really?” Miroku asked in a perky voice. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

 

“Yes. Willingly. A whole 2 hours.”

 

“3 hours.”

 

“God fine, just give me the laptop!”

 

“Alright, but if it has even a scratch I’m getting an extra 3 hours.”

 

Miroku handed the hardware over with a supercilious look, although he could have simply been thinking of who he could have over that night. Inuyasha sighed loudly as he took the Apple Air, making his begrudgement obvious, but Miroku wasn’t even paying attention, the guitar was already discarded and he was tapping away on his phone. Inuyasha found his flash drive, and went about logging on as himself on the College website. First it meant closing all of Miroku’s chat windows and dubious match-up sites. Then he found the link for his upload to work. It was for Music history, and he was fairly read up on that already, had enough knowledge and enthusiasm to garner a smile from his lecturer, so he was feeling confident about it. Since he was there, he went to check for the results on his latest assignment for Professor Fujiwara.

 

Inuyasha was nowhere close to enjoying Music Theory 101.

 

It had only been three weeks but he already dreaded every Tuesday and Friday. And it was the last class of both days, which meant getting to the end of them was a trial and he was thoroughly wiped by the time he got there. 

 

And they were just  _ hard _ . Professor Fujiwara was no slouch and he walked away from every class with a sandwich thick amount of reading to do by the following week. And he wasn’t the only one groaning about the course load. Even if Inuyasha had been particularly interested in music theory, the content was still like slow chewing extra thick gravel.And so far, Inuyasha hadn’t been given any grade above a C-.

 

As he logged in and saw his latest result, he cursed all over again.

 

“Do not hit my computer.” Miroku cautioned lazily, slouched into his bed and grinning at his phone.

 

“I said I wouldn’t.” Inuyasha barked. “That asshole Fujiwara gave me a fucking D!”

 

“He gave you the D? Lucky, he’s gorgeous.” Miroku chuckled, but smothered it when Inuyasha glared at him. “Did you deserve it?”

 

“I worked fucking two nights on that paper. I followed the assignment to the tee and even checked with Kagome for spelling and shit. Fuck!” Inuyasha smacked the table.

 

“Well…” Miroku was hesitant. “Can’t you talk to him about it?”

 

“Talking to him is like…not possible.” Inuyasha grumped.

 

“Why not?”

 

“It’s just…not. He hates me.”

 

“Do you deserve that?”

 

“Fuck off Miroku.”

 

“Just trying to help.”

 

Inuyasha fumed at the screen. The looked at the clock. He shot out of the chair so fast it teetered for two seconds then fell over, bouncing a little on the carpet. But Inuyasha was already grabbing his red hoodie, and wrenching open the door.

 

“Where are you going? Miroku asked as if his best friend wasn’t in the midst of a grown up tantrum.

 

“I’m going to talk to that asshole.”

 

“Not so impossible when it's 6pm?” was the innocent response and was totally lost on his hot headed friend. The door closed sharply and Miroku shrugged.

 

As Inuyasha was angrily running down the stairs, he pushed earbuds into his ears. He always kept his phone in the kanga-pocket of his favourite hoodie, keeping music close as possible to his brain. Immediately as he hit play, ‘Cake by the Ocean’ by DNCE exploded in his ears, fuelling his determination. Even if the content didn’t resonate, the tune did, and his feet hit the next step harder. He was just building up steam for the ten minute walk to campus central when there was a dip in the sound, indicating a message. He whipped the phone out, not slowing down.

 

‘ _ when you figure out that no lecturer in their right mind would still be working at 6pm on a Friday night, and have to fume your way back here, stop for spring rolls alright? I need fuel for my evening _ .’

 

Miroku was so annoyingly accurate sometimes, but Inuyasha chose to ignore the message and keep going. In his mind, there was no chance that the guy  _ wouldn’t _ be there to receive his righteous indignation. Miroku could go suck an egg.

 

He stewed as he stamped. He worked fucking hard. Balancing a full time college schedule and part time job was nothing simple.  Especially since his job required more night shifts than he could actually spare. But he had to make it work if he was ever going to get on track for his dreams. He wanted to make music, he wanted to play, and he wanted to leak into people’s hearts and change them the way music did for him every single day. Even if it did mean bending himself towards the less glamorous side of it; college meant theory, practice, and while he was still a freshman he had to learn and be proficient with at least four different instruments, which meant three more than he was actually familiar with. Not that he didn’t have the talent, but it wasn’t a cake walk. Unlike Miroku, who didn’t care that he couldn’t play the guitar, Inuyasha had to care, and care a lot. It wasn’t his fucking fault that this professor was such a fucking cement block of a personality. It wasn’t fair, even if he didn’t like Inuyasha, for him to get a bad grade. 

 

_ He worked fucking hard _ .

  
  


Mother had asked him to. So he did. If she had been alive she would’ve been calling him every day to tell him to keep on trying, that he was strong enough and she loved him.

 

Remembering his mother made him angrier, and he was doing a run-walk by the time he climbed the steps leading into the dome-shaped campus main building. Then he hesitated, because he realised that professors had offices didn’t they? He probably couldn’t count on finding anyone in the actual lecture theatre. He wandered a little until he felt he’d found the vaguely right direction, and carried on.

 

-8-

There was a sharp rapping on his office door, which made the glass rattle. Sesshomaru was deep into syllabi creation and the sound jerked him harshly from it, and for a moment he was disoriented. He looked at the time: 18:15. He turned down the piano solo drifting out of his computer, and looked across his adequately sized office, and saw a definite red blob through the misted glass of his door.

 

_ Who on earth _ … his thought trailed off, though a niggling of recognition pushed at his mind.

The door rattled again and his suspicion solidified a little more.

 

“Oi, I know you’re there. I heard your music!” yelled an angry voice through the door and this time Sesshomaru knew exactly who it was. It meant that when he opened the door, his perfected expression of cold indifference had a little more fire to it that usual.

 

“What do you think you are doing?” he asked coldly. He was met with a furiously bloodshot glare.

 

“I need to talk to you about the grade on my last paper. Actually what I’m saying is that you clearly had your head up your ass and need to regrade it.”

 

Sesshomaru was astonished. “Excuse me?”

 

“Excuse you what? I worked for ages on that paper, I was late with my other assignments so that I could finish it on time and you give me a failing grade?”

 

Sesshomaru could only stare for the moment. It wasn’t that he didn’t recall Inuyasha Uchida, he knew definitively who the student was.  He also remembered the paper he’d graded, because for one thing, the boy’s name was fairly uncommon, and for another Uchida was the only other person in his life who seemed to legitimately bear the same genetic abnormality that caused thick, white, nearly unmanageable hair.  Sesshomaru managed his by keeping it a very tight braid down his back. But Uchida seemed to prefer it wild and loose, and it certainly was. Uchida was completely unforgettable.

 

No, what caused his momentary silence was the fact that he was completely stunned that any student would be so utterly  _ crass _ as to come to his  _ office _ in the  _ evening _ on a  _ Friday _ and disturb him over a  _ final decision _ . It was almost, but not quite, inconceivable, because the proof was flaring its nostrils at him right now.

 

He gathered himself, delivering his words icily. “Are you drunk?”

 

Uchida looked slapped. “What?”

 

“That is the only possible reason I can think have why you would think that this current action is allowable.” Sesshomaru went on. “My grading is final, there is no room for reconsideration even if yours had enough merit for it. You obviously have the opinion that my intelligence is the same as yours if you thought you could submit something so half-baked. I have no intention of regrading you: this was merely a warning. If you try to submit plagiarism again I will report you. The only thing that saved you here was the fact that you used a quote by Engel Leiden, which showed me you had rubbed two brain cells together.”

 

Uchida took one huge breath. “Excuse me?”

 

“Very well.” Sesshomaru replied and began to close the door. It was slammed to a stop, and Sesshomaru glared at the hand that was curled around the edge. “I have actual work to do. You may leave.”

 

“I’m not leaving, you giant prick.” Uchida growled. “I worked so hard on that paper, it’s all my own fucking work. I would never take someone else’s work and call it mine.”

 

“Then perhaps you need some revision on how to  _ reference _ your work.” Sesshomaru replied in clipped tones.

 

“Are you joking right now?” Uchida exploded. “You called me a plagiarist because I didn’t  _ reference properly _ ?!”

 

Sesshomaru had already reached his limit of student interaction. He gave Uchida a clear up-and-down measuring look. Bloodshot eyes, high colour, irrational mood. “Again I must ask. Are you drunk?”

 

He watched the student’s hand ball into a fist, and his expression darken, and instinctively moved into a looser stance. He also opened the door wider, because he didn’t feel like dealing with broken glass as well as punched out imbecile at his door.

 

But Uchida only lowered his arm, tension obvious in his movements.

  
  


“I am not drunk. I am angry, exhausted as fuck and you are  _ unfair _ . The next time you show up half-concussed at a party, I hope that you find someone as  _ not-a-dick _ as me to take you to the fucking ER you  _ ungrateful shit _ . I hope I’m a  _ million miles _ away from you.”

 

For the second time that night, Sesshomaru was dumb struck. He watched as the boy turned away, stomping his way back down the brightly lit corridor, passed other doors that were locked and dark, and said nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the reveal!


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sesshomaru manages to bend and not break, and Inuyasha makes two new friends.

Sesshomaru didn’t manage to formulate a response until the day after the next, and even then, it stuck in his throat. 

 

“Mr Uchida, see me after class.” he said, loud enough to catch Uchida’s attention, as well as most of the rest of the class as they began to file out the door, glad of their freedom. It did not escape him that Uchida became the receiver of more than one sympathetic glance. For himself, Rin caught his eye, her eyes intensely questioning. He just ignored her, looking away and beginning the shut down process on his laptop. Regardless of any concern, Uchida was still left alone and slouched resentfully in front of his desk when Sesshomaru finally glanced up at him. 

 

The student looked electric. In that there was a constant current running through him, causing his leg to bounce, toes to twitch, head to toss.  Uchida hadn’t said or done anything since his confrontation last weekend, but his emotions were completely transparent. He sat quietly in class, arrived on time, but refused to look at Sesshomaru unless he had to, sitting as far back in the theatre as possible. Unlike most of the other students, he seemed to have forgone using a laptop in favour of a cheap notebook, and Sesshomaru sensed his angry note-taking uncomfortably, in light of new knowledge.

 

He still hadn’t told Rin. He was probably never going to. There was a level of dignity a parent should maintain, even if it was paper thin.

 

Now Uchida stood before him, his leg bouncing slightly, wearing the same ratty, red hoodie he always did, his hair a long, wild tangle over his shoulders and back. His expression as usual, was stormy.

 

He decided to delve directly into the issue. “I have decided to allow you to submit your last paper.”

 

Sesshomaru had never encountered someone quite so  _ obvious _ . He watched in minute detail the changes of Uchida’s face, the falling away of anger, the dawning realisation, and the lingering suspicion; the natural instinct never to trust something that seemed to good to be true.

 

“...what?”

 

Since the professor was already at his limit simply offering the favour, his thin patience evaporated and he turned away. “You heard me. You have until friday to resubmit the piece, with the proper referencing. This will be my only allowance on the matter, and will not be repeated.”

 

Uchida remained gobsmacked, and then grew a calculating look. “This is because I took you to the ER?”

 

Sesshomaru saw no point in denying it, and merely nodded. There was a snort from Uchida.

 

“Well, yeah...ok. Thanks.” he said, sounding like an entirely different person from the angry boy a moment before. “I'll do it before that-”

 

“I would also appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about this small lapse. It shouldn't be circulated that I ever allow this kind of thing.”

 

Uchida actually rolled his eyes. “Of course not. I’m guessing you also don’t want people to know you got slugged at a frat party the weekend before your first semester as a college employee either right?” 

 

Sesshomaru stiffened and said quietly. “I would appreciate that also.”

 

There was a pause from Uchida and Sesshomaru side-glanced his way. His expression was serious, and bare.

 

“Look, if I was gonna tell, I would have already right? Shit happens. And, um...if you’re only doing this to shut me up then...well I’m not gonna say I don’t want it…. But that’s not-”

 

“Your essay wasn’t exemplary but it wasn’t utter rubbish either. I see this more as a return of a favour you did for a stranger. Not bribery.”  sesshomaru said, making it clear. Uchida kept his gaze for a moment then nodded once. 

 

“Ok.” he said, nodding again. “Ok, good. I’ll have it back to you by tomorrow.”

 

Sesshomaru felt oddly tense and relieved at the same time, and busied himself with slotting his laptop back into its case. He looked up when he heard a double knock behind him. Uchida was leaning against the doorjamb, looking like he was chewing something difficult.

 

“You know, I wasn’t gonna report you or anything. I don't know what happened but everyone makes mistakes and stuff...anyway, I wouldn't have done that. Just FYI.”

 

And then he was gone, once again leaving Professor Sesshomaru Fujiwara feeling vaguely annoyed without anything to direct it at.

 

-8-

 

“Oh my...is that…?”

 

“ What? Wait...it is…”

 

“But it’s so ...filthy.”

 

Inuyasha and Miroku had stopped dead in their tracks, walking back from Sango’s Wonton where they often bought cheap spring rolls and Miroku continuously tried and failed to flirt with it’s owner, Sango. But what had arrested their attention, and interrupted Miroku puzzling over exactly why Sango continued to refuse him, was a very small, very bedraggled creature peeking out from the overgrown topiary.

 

Inuyasha crouched down, and the creature stumbled backwards into the greenery. But either weakness or hunger stopped it from getting much further, and a pathetically small whimper just managed to reach his ears. Though his instinct was to grab the ball of pathetic fur and hug it inside his hoodie, it was probably be completely traumatic for th little thing. He inched a little closer, holding out a half eaten spring roll. The little thing stared at him and the food with huge, blue eyes.

 

“Don't touch it.”Miroku groaned. “Its so filthy it's basically a giant germ.”

 

“Shut up.” Inuyasha replied without a pause, making a low tutting sound to try draw the pup towards him. It was far too small to be on its own. Eyes still blue, belly distended, legs weak and wobbly, it was definitely far too young to be on its own on a road. 

 

“Where’s your mama, little runt?”he asked gently, going a little closer.

 

“Runt is right” miroku commented around a mouthful of spring roll. “Just leave the roll and let's go then.”

 

But Inuyasha had won a small battle: the pup had waddled desperately closer, hunger deciding for it that safety wasn't the issue, but survival was. He kept hold of the food, keeping it still as it was gnawed at with tiny teeth. Out from the cover, realisation dawned.

 

“Miroku, I think it’s a kit.”

 

“A cat? No way in hell.” Miroku said squinting from over Inuyasha's shoulder. 

 

“Not a cat, idiot. A kit. A baby fox.”  the kit was struggling struggle to inhale the spring roll in 

Inuyasha’s fingers, and he said “Take it easy, you’ll get sick.”

 

“It already looks sick.”

 

“Yeah probably worms.” Inuyasha scooped it up, fitting it into his palm too easily and with another tiny whimper, and stood. It really was disgustingly dirty. He watched it try to vore the half spring roll and made a very abrupt decision.

 

“I’m gonna give it a bath.”he said, turning in the direction of home.  

 

While coughing up a mouthful, Miroku looked shocked. “Hello? We’re not allowed pets in our room.”

 

“Yeah but, it’s so small, it probably counts more as vermin.”

 

“We’re not allowed those either.” Miroku informed him, but he had already fallen into step beside Inuyasha, taking a closer look at his new charge. “You know, my friend, I’m gonna be honest, this little guy does not look well.”

 

“Yeah I know, we covered that already.” Inuyasha growled, curling his other arm around the bundle protectively. But it was currently in the process of chewing while falling asleep, and Inuyasha wasn’t going to explain to anyone why there was no way he was going anywhere without the small thing.

 

“Dude…”

 

“Shut up alright? I’ll figure it out.”

 

Miroku sighed. “You always do this; impulsive actions without thinking things through. You took on more shifts at the bar so you could afford a new laptop. You can’t afford a pet, and this one’s sick to boot. And how are you gonna look after it, even if it lives? You’d have to carry it around-”

 

He was stopped by a hard flick of Inuyasha middle finger right in the middle of his head. “Ouch, bastard.”

 

“For the last time, shut your piehole. God.” Inuyasha said. “I don't need you pointing out all the flaws in my plan.”

 

“Im pointing out that you don't even  _ have _ a plan, moron.” miroku replied grumpily, rubbing his head.  But Inuyasha’s attention was already gone. “ i'm not taking care of it.”

 

“No one asked you.”

 

“But youre  _ going _ to.”

 

“Go suck an egg, ‘Roku.”

 

Instead, Miroku took a bite of a new spring roll. They walked in crunchy silence for a while then, because Miroku couldn't actually stop speaking his mind, he said; “So what's the plan?”

 

Inuyasha sighed loudly. “Well, I think he needs a bath first.”

 

“It's a he?” 

 

A moment was spared to gently lift the pup, and check that it was indeed a ‘he’. Miroku wrinkled his nose.

 

“Ok so, definitely a bath.” he said, privately wondering how Inuyasha could even touch it with his bare hands. He’d been  _ eating _ with those.

 

“Don't worry you won't have to help.” Inuyasha replied, giving him a sour look. 

 

“I wasn't even remotely planning to.” 

 

When they got close to the dorm building, Inuyasha could easily hide the pup in the kanga pocket in front of his hoodie. It was already asleep and didn’t seem to mind. While Miroku ignored him, going straight to their room, Inuyasha snuck into the communal bathroom and filled a sink with warm water, washing the creature gently as possible. It stirred, but wasn’t uncomfortable enough to wake. 

 

Inuyasha had saved strays before, so he knew what he was doing. He also knew from the distended belly, that this pup most likely had parasites. Well, at least that isn't expensive.  It had barely eaten half a spring roll before passing out, so it was obviously weak, and would wake up ravenous again. He tried not to think about details, just then, he focussed on rubbing the grime out from between fingernail sizes foot pads, and not getting water into tiny velvety ears.

 

-8-

 

It wasn't particularly hard, writing up homework assignments by hand in the reddish light of the inside of  No Kid’s Pub, but keeping an increasingly wriggly fox kit from trying to climb into his hair made it a little more challenging.

 

“Shippou, you hungry?” he muttered to the lump in his front pocket. Three days, actual food and one deworming later (which made Miroku gag viciously)  the little rescue was far more lively than when they’d first met. He seemed a typical baby fox, more poop than kit, eyes brightly adoring of his new dad, Inuyasha. With a little internet searching, he figured the kit was between 4 and 6 weeks, it was hard to tell. It had a pale coat, a dusting of charcoal  on its nose and paws, probably marking it as the runt. The name Shippou had been arrived at when, in a fit of pique, Miroku had decided it.

 

“Aw, it looks like you.” he’d said flatly, giving it a cautious look from a distance, the vomit occasion still fresh. “Seems fitting, because just like you, it ruins my weekends.”

 

“Stop bitching. Just ‘cos you couldn't invite whatsherface over last night.”

 

“It's like a mini you, but way cuter.” Miroke went on, ignoring Inuyasha. The kit blinked at him. Since it had been rescued, it had slept, eat and woken two more times and was now looking around itself with the air of a newborn. “Mini-shitty-you. Shit poo. Shippou.”

 

“Fuck off.”

 

“What you think, hey Shippou?” Miroku crooned, leaning a little closer to the pup from his perch on the bed. It gave a tiny, sharp little bark, and Miroku grinned like it he’d won the argument.

 

“See? He likes it. Right Shippou?”

 

Another small, spirited yap, and that sealed it. No amount of glaring would cow miroku, and since Inuyasha didn't have any other ideas, he let it go. Since it looked like the runt was never gonna be bigger than a handbag, neither of them figured it was going to be a big enough problem to worry about the room. And as they both had other things to think about just then, it became tomorrow's problem.

 

Except at present, it was a problem. Shippou, was becoming like infants of any species and getting increasingly wriggly. Mostly, he seems to want to snuggle his way into Inuyasha’s hair, and sleep in the space behind his neck. At home, this was no problem, since Inuyasha would himself snuggle comfortably into the blankets and stay that way for hours working or listening to music or both. But at his place of employ, it was a different story.

 

“Here,” he muttered pushing a piece of ham sandwich into the pocket. “You’re still recovering from near starvation. Sleep, for crying out loud.”

 

The answer was a high pitched  _ yip _ , but the ham was taken anyway. Inuyasha looked back to what he was doing. His Music theory books were opened out in front of him, and though his hand was cramping from note-taking, it was still a pretty good set up. His boss, Annabelle, was happy to let him work on assignments as he needed, since his shifts were in the small hours, and it was quiet. Inuyasha could easily take breaks to serve drinks, or clean up, or whatever small task Annabelle asked him to do, and in exchange he got paid minimum wage and was allowed to study. Weekends were a different story, but Inuyasha made it work. Was  _ determined  _ to make it work.

 

When his mother had died, there was no such thing as ‘inheritance’ for him. Or any of his many, many foster brothers and sisters. His mother, though not in blood, had poured all her money and heart into her foster babies, so upon her death all that had been left for him was a weird looking necklace and the memory of rose water scones on sunday mornings. He’d kept the necklace because she had wanted him to have it, but it stayed in a shoe box under his bed. 

 

No, without the scholarship and working as many part-time shifts as he could, there was no way he would be attending college. As it was, he scraped by and lived on ramen noodles. Of course there was the fact that St Kleins College for Music and Performing arts was one of the most expensive places of tertiary learning in several countries. But he had talent, enough to land himself a scholarship that got him his textbooks and other things. As long as he played by the rules and earned his credits. He could do it, and would do it.  

 

He wasn't alone in this particular struggle. There were others working their way through college, aiming for dreams. It wasn't even that Inuyasha wanted to be famous, it was just that he couldn't see himself doing anything in his life without music. When he imagined his future, he always had a guitar in his arms, a song on his tongue, the beat in his brain. 

_ “If you're going to pour your strength into anything, “ his mother had said, “make sure it's something you love. Even if you fail, the journey will have been wonderful.” _

 

Besides, the rags to riches stories of anyone he knew was never very exciting anyway. So his textbooks travelled between his room and his job, and he kept an eye out in thrift stores for cheap paper. That was one thing he couldn't wait to afford though: a fucking laptop. Writing every damn thing by hand and retyping it out on library computers...it was time he didn't have.

 

When he was feeling overwhelmed, when it was just one thing after another, neverending mountain of boxes to tick...the beat came. His pen tapped away at his brillo pad, keeping a rhythm for him while his mind drifted. Little snatches of song, acomforting beat  that calmed his heart and soothed his temper. It drew him away from the stress, it was his assurance that nothing would ever really be able to squelch him, to take away his essence. 

 

_ You're still you _ , it told him,  _ this is you, connected to the heartbeat of things _ …

 

He yelped. “Ow, dammit.”

 

Shippou had stuck his little head out and caught the edge of his wrist playfully, but puppy teeth were no joke. He sighed, giving up on studies  and pulled Shippou from his pocket.

“No biting.” he said but the little kit was already squirming in his grip, trying to get to his face for a sniff and a lick. Inuyasha chuckled and let him go where he wanted. “Yeah you're cute.”

 

“What's that?”

 

Inuyasha froze, knowing it was too late to hide his charge. Annabelle was already right next to him, head tilted, hip cocked. The mass of carrot coloured madness she called her hair was ruthlessly shoved into a scrunchy, crazy little corkscrew of hair still finding their way out. Her shirt as always was low cut and sat tight over her breasts and loose over her waist, black jeans faded and very comfortable on her lush figure. Inuyasha found her incredibly attractive. She knew it, he knew she knew it, and without needing to say it, they both knew it would never happen. Didn't stop her from dressing up like a wet dream though. 

 

Her expression just then was curious, a little suspicious but mostly curious. “No way, is that a fox?”

 

“A kit yeah.“ Inuyasha admitted as Shippou buried his way into his hair. He tried and failed not to flinch as little claws scraped along his neck. Annabelle moved closer delighted.

 

“Oh my  _ god  _ I love foxes. Where do you find him? Is he yours?”

 

Even though Annabelle owned and ran her own bar, and was on the healthy side of 30, she was still pretty much a kid like him. He half grinned and told her the tale of his rescue. During the story, Annabelle managed to coax the pup from his burrow of hair and into her arms. 

 

“Woah, so now you just, what, have a pet fox?”

 

“Uh...I guess.” Inuyasha shrugged, looking at the kit, now snuffling Annabelle’s earrings. “I didn't really think it through.”

 

“There's a shocker.” Annabelle snorted, petting behind Shippo's ears. Inuyasha scowled a little.

 

“I couldn't just leave him there. He was sick and starving.”

 

“Not saying you’re not a hero, Inuyasha, just that you would suck at chess.”

 

Inuyasha bit the inside of his cheek because he was actually really terrible at chess. “That doesn't have anything to do with anything.”

 

“So youre gonna bring him to work with you?”

 

Inuyasha stiffened a little, watching his boss carefully, but she was still engrossed in the puppy. Then she slanted a look at him and sighed good naturedly. “Look you can't keep him at home. He’ll rip the place to pieces. Foxes have loads of energy and need constant interaction.”

 

“How do you know so much about it?” not that he hadn't gone and found out all of that himself.

 

“ I told you, I love foxes. I’ve never had one though.”

 

“Um…” Inuyasha started, feeling suddenly reluctant. It's not like he could keep Shippou...but he didn't want to give him away… Annabelle set her shoulders, the same way she'd done when she hired Inuyasha.

 

“I don't mind you bringing him here when you're on shift. You think you can train him to take a leash?”

 

Inuyasha blinked. “Probably.” he replied without thinking.

 

“Well, if you do, I don't mind having him around. He can wander around until you figure out what you wanna do with him.” she said, handing the pup back, a knowing glint in her eye. Shippou sniffled back into Inuyasha ahir burrow, and yipped sleepily. “He really likes you.”

 

“Yeah...thanks.” Inuyasha mumbled. He was surrounded by people who made his life easier than it could otherwise be, but he still found himself shy to acknowledge the kindness of others.

 

“No problem.” Annabelle replied, turning on her heel. “When you have a sec,there are a few crates out back that need unpacking.”

 

“Got it.” Inuyasha replied, silently grateful for bosses who were sexy as well as intelligent and kind.

 

Shippou seemed to have decided sleeping in the hood of Inuyasha hoodie was better than the pocket and was happily snoozing while Inuyasha got on with his job. As long as he moved carefully, Shippou didn't seem bothered and stayed sleeping while he worked, moving alcohol and serving drinks. Even when Inuyasha managed to bundle his hair into a very untidy bun, Shippou was still tiny enough to be almost completely hidden, and no one saw the little fox cub hiding in their bartender’s hood.

 

It was that part of the next in the middle of the week, where there were very few customers when Inuyasha was tapped on the arm.

 

“You work here?” a girl with straight, short black hair asked, like the answer was going to be the next lottery numbers.

 

Inuyasha leaned back slightly. “Obviously.”

 

Her sunshine expression fell away a little. “Don't you recognise me?” 

 

Inuyasha panicked. He kinda hoped she wasn't someone he’d made out with and forgotten, but she shook her head, smiling, and held out her hand. “My name is Rin, we take the same Music Theory class.”

 

Inuyasha frowned a little in thought. “The one with professor Pain in the Ass?”

 

The girl’s laugh was loud and abrupt, cut short by a hand over her mouth. She seemed a little young to be in a bar...but if she was studying with him then she had to be old enough. “Yeah that's him. Although that's not what he calls you.”

 

“Not to my face.” Inuyasha grinned.

 

“Nah, just at home.” Rin nodded. “It must be nice to work so close to-”

 

“Hang on, ‘at home’?”

 

Rin blinked wide dark eyes, making herself  comfortable on the seat opposite where he stood. 

 

“Hmmm? Oh he's my dad.”

 

Inuyasha’s jaw dropped. “That asshole is your dad?” he said without thinking. But rin nooded unphased.

 

“Yep. he’s really a good guy, just has a …” Rin looked stern for a moment, tapping the straightened edge of her hand on the bar top. “ _ Way _ he does things. He’s a good teacher too.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged a little. “Um...yeah, I guess. Sorry about, uh, calling him…”

 

“That's ok, I get it alot. He is.” she shrugged, all sunshine once more.

 

Confused, Inuyasha decided not to pry. “Ok then. So um, what can I get you at ….11Pm on a wednesday?”

 

“You do cocktails?” She asked, practically bouncing in her seat. Inuyasha gave her a flat look.

 

“Not for you we dont.”

 

Rin frowned, a cute expression on her doll like face. “Hey I’m legal.”

 

“It's too late for cocktails.” Inuyasha told her. “And we have class tomorrow. What are you even doing here so late?”

 

Rin shifted her eyes, with the worst attempt at an innocent look Inuyasha had ever seen. This kid had never needed to lie, so she was abysmal at it. “Nothing. Just felt like it.”

 

“No one wants cocktails near midnight, in the middle of the week. Unless they're with friends or meeting someone.”

  
Inuyasha stared at her while she tried to ignore him. “It's not your business is it?”

 

“No but…” Inuyasha sighed, rubbing his face. “I mean, I see a lot of students come through here and I can usually spot a dodgy situation. What's really going on?”

 

Rin shrugged tensely. “There's this guy, thats all. We’ve been texting, and we agreed to meet here. He said I should get drinks in the meantime.”

 

Inuyasha shook his head. “Yeah, that's pretty dumb.”

 

Rin finally met his eyes, angry little sparks in her eyes. “Why? He’s a nice guy-”

 

“Rin, right? Firstly, he sent you  here on your own and told you to order drinks ahead. Thats already a red flag; it means he doesn't want to pay. Also it’s super late at night.”

 

“He has a late class-”

 

“And you don't meet up for a date in the middle of the night unless you're a vampire or you don't want people to see you. And i'm guessing he suggested cocktails?”

 

Rin, silent and listening intently, nodded. 

 

“Yeah well, cocktails get you drunk faster. And I bet you haven't eaten have you? Cos its way past dinner time and I am guessing you prefer not to snack after sundown?”

 

Rin’s anxious expression was gone and now just amazed. “How did you know?”

 

“There's a type, you fit it.” Inuyasha said. “Anyway, I bet you anything that as soon as this guy shows up, he's gonna ask why you haven't ordered anything yet with a huge smile on his face. And when you're too tipsy to stand he’ll try to take you home to his place and feel you up. Or worse.”

 

“...you don't know that though.” Rin tried, but didn't look particularly worried.

 

“It's pretty much at least 86% certain.”

 

“That’s high.” 

 

“I’ve seen it plenty times.”

 

Inuyasha clean the bar top while Rin chewed her bottom lip, looking serious. She took her phone out a few times and put it away again.

 

“Let's say you're right…” she started eventually.

 

“I am.”

 

“ _ Let's say _ you're right.” Rin went on ignoring him. “I wouldn't let myself get like that. And I know enough self defense to look after yourself.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Not to put you in a box, but every girl thinks that before the actual act. Have you actually ever been in that kind of situation?”

 

“No.”

 

“Rather avoid it if possible, that's my advice.”

 

Rin glanced at her phone again. The screen had lit up with a message, but she didn't open it. She seemed to slump then, her face saddening. INuyasha felt a twist of guilt. 

 

“Hey, I’m sorry, uh, Rin…”

 

“He seemed nice.” she said quietly.

 

Inuyasha swallowed. “...maybe he is?”

 

Rin gave him a transparently disbelieving look. “Wow that’s a bad lie.”

 

“I was trying to make you feel better.”

 

Rin half laughed. “Well, anyway. Thanks. I'll text now and tell him not to bother.”

 

“Um, sorry.”

 

“Its fine. Not that I'm not disappointed because its like all I find are shitty guys at this damn school.”

 

Inuyasha smirked. “Well, can't argue there.”

 

Rin paused in her typing, pinning him with a shrewd look. “You Know, most guys would try to make themselves out to be the exception, if someone cute told them that.”

 

Inuyasha looked at her blankly for a moment, then jerked back in realisation. “Oh wow. No way. You’re cute, but in a baby turtle kind of way. And also you're Stuck up the Butt’s daughter so no, not sticking my finger in that meat grinder.”

 

Rin giggled, already smiling again. “So youre talking from experience?”

 

Inuyasha blushed slightly, busying himself with cleaning the bar top again. “Since when did we start discussing my dating life?”

 

“Hey it's only fair.”

 

“That's not how it works.”

 

“It's not like I mind if you’re into guys.” Rin said, sending off her text and putting her phone away decisively. “Ok, i told him not to come. And blocked the number.”

 

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. Impressed. “ Probably the best move.”

 

“Yeah well,” Rin admitted with a long suffering sigh. “ The stuff you said made depressing sense. I need better instincts.”

 

“Everyone makes mistakes.” Inuyasha said, shrugging and looking around. The bar was pretty much empty, except Annabelle and a friend of her in a corner booth, drinking and laughing quietly together. He had another 30 min before he could knock off.

 

Suddenly Rin squealed. Inuyasha eyes snapped to her, suddenly on edge.

 

“What?!” he said, looking around for the guy, maybe he’d cme anyway and was pissed...but Rin had stars in her eyes.

  
“Is  _ that _ a fox  _ baby _ ?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fox baby can be a kit or a pup.


	5. 5

_ Broken bottles in the hotel lobby _

_ Seems to me like I'm just scared of never feeling it again _

_ I know it's crazy to believe in silly things _

_ But it's not that easy _

  
  


_ Kodaline - High Hopes _

  
  


Sesshomaru was about to put on some piano, an older melody he’d come to enjoy even though the musician wasn’t any kind of famous, when his office door opened and the object of everlasting loathing walked in. Without knocking.

 

“I didn't hear you knock.” he commented drily, refusing to meet Dr. Naraku’s eye. He sensed it when the man sat down in the door opposite his desk though, still focussing on his pc screen.

 

“Good morning.” Naraku drawled. Sesshomaru continued to make it obvious that the man was not welcome.

 

“No greeting? That's remarkably rude for someone whose only just been added to the staff roster.”

 

Sesshomaru finally met his colleague’s gaze, finding them as always; cold, too bright and just a little bit cruel.

 

“I have no intention of being anything other than colleagues with you, so why would I waste time being polite? Say what you’re here for then leave.”

 

“Cold as usual, Sesshomaru.” Sesshomaru couldn't quit prevent the twitch under his left eye when Naraku called him by name. Then a  folder was dropped negligently on his desk, catching his eye. “I volunteered to pass these on to you. Aren't I generous?”

 

Sesshomaru knew better than to expect Naraku to make an appearance for any other reason than to be problematic, never mind explain what the papers were, so he didn't 

bother asking. Turning back to his desktop he said simply; “Thank you. You may go.”

 

“But we haven't had a chance to catch up.”

 

Sesshomaru could feel it starting already. The slight tremble in his fingers, the shivery sensation that could be mistaken for lightheadedness, but he knew better. He breathed in slowly through his nose and leaned back in his chair, atively getting his posture to relax. Naraku was smiling a bleached white smile, watching him as avidly as a snake watches a mouse.

 

“What you mean is, you havent had the chance to bring up old wounds yet.”

 

There was a laugh so false it grated on Sesshomaru's ears. “Well it's no secret after all, that we despise each other. Since you were hired here in spite of my advice that you were a failed musician and terrible teacher, you can't imagine i would have made it easier for you.”

 

Sesshomaru kept his composure. “And yet you put so much effort into walking across an entire campus to my office to say so in person. Seems like you have a vendetta.”

 

“Of course I do. You took the winning cup from me remember? Several times. Now, the planets or fate or whatever rubbish has finally aligned so that I am in a place above you, and to enjoy it.”

 

“Is this reunion over yet?”

 

There was a slight furrowing of Naraku’s smooth brow, but it quickly vanished. “For now.”

 

“Do I need to say that if you start to harass me in any way i'll report you?”

 

“Report me? Here's how it will come across;  _ Professor Sesshomaru, youngest and newest member of staff, a star protege burned out so early in his career is fulfilling Dr Naraku’s predictions that seclusion and anxiety has ruined him for any kind of educational role. Dr Naraku who has taught here for nearly a decade, would never stoop so low as to bring up a petty childhood rivalry, to actually bully another staff member, no matter the history. Perhaps Dr Sesshomaru is, after all, unfit for _ -”

 

“This job you keep bragging over, does it actually exist? You can’t be paid to bother me surely.” Sesshomaru cut in boredly. Naraku simply smirked. 

 

“Unlike you, I have tenure.” he said, before getting up and straightening his jacket. Naraku was always dressed like he was at a debut, it bordered on neurotic. “I heard you’ve been commissioned a book, in less than a year. Hm, good luck with that.”

 

Once Naraku had left, Sesshomaru made sure to count to at least 15 before he let his posture weaken. His nails had been digging into his palms hard enough by then to leave little half moons, first white then turning harsh, bruising red. He tried to reach for his tea cup but when the liquid threatened to wash over the rim, he set it down, knowing he would just end up spilling it and leaving evidence behind.

 

_ ….a failed musician and terrible teacher… _

“Stop it,” he whispered to himself, barely more than a breath, letting one hand rest against his forehead and the other clutch the chair-arm. 

He didn't move for a long while.

 

-8-

Sesshomaru arrived home late, when he knew Rin would either be asleep or curled up in her duvet with a book for the night. He saw her door closed and light off and breathed a sigh of relief. He would have liked a cup of tea but didn't want to wake her with the sound of the kettle., so he trudged to his own bedroom, dropping his bag onto the dresser. He managed to remove his tie and collar his shirt, all in darkness before his hands gave up. Exhausted from his own internal trauma, he collapsed on the bed, thanking god it was friday.

 

Once, he had had an attack in front of Rin. the look of horror on her face was something he never wanted to experience again, so he tried to keep himself under control. And when he couldn't...he tried to be far away from where she was. He’d been doing really well in the last few years…

 

He knew Naraku was going to be a problem, but he was ashamed at how quickly the evil son of a bitch had triggered his anxiety attack.  He cursed his body; a body that was so used to panic that it took little to send it into a fight or flight response. He was still swallowing the excess saliva that flooded his mouth, trying to calm his roiling stomach.

 

“You are fine, there is no danger, you are safe…” he whispered the mantra to himself.  He truly didn't want to go back onto medication again, but it was still a last resort. He wished...he longed...for something. A kindness, perhaps.

 

Flashbacks seared into the black behind his eyelids; hands freezing on the keys, a stumble, a fall. A limb that was once divine turned to so much useless trash. Without knowing he did it, his left hand clutched and kneaded around his wrist, trying to block out phantom pain and seizure.

He focussed on slowing his heart beat until he fell asleep, still in his clothes.

  
  


-8-

 

As it turned out, bringing a baby fox to his lecture was a bad idea. As were most of Inuyasha’s ideas, but he would never admit it.

 

He actually thought he might have gotten away with it for about twenty minutes, until Shippou woke up. A sleepy little bark came out from between Inuyasha s feet where he’d let the fox kit sleep in his bag, hoping and praying that he’d get through the entire 45 minutes with the kit still asleep. No one had been able to help. Miroku (whose opinion on the foxling had changed once he realised how much girls loved cute furry creatures with a loving nature) had a class, Annabelle was out for the day, kagome isn't picking up her phone again. At a loss, and nervy about being late, he’d fed Shippou a huge lunch and settled him into the messenger back hoping for the best.

 

But Shippou, now a month and a bit old, was fully recovered from his near death experience and was a fairly normal fox cub. Which was to say he was chewing everything, slept like the dead and tore around the room every other time  poking his nose into anything he could find. Miroku was full of ‘i -told-you-so’s but still contributed to food since he too wanted to keep their new pet. 

 

But Inuyasha knew, from extensive library research, that foxes were high maintenance. They needed a lot of interaction and stimulation, and the younger they were, the worse it got. 

Inuyasha had tried to let him go. He’d taken Shippou to the same  bush where they found him and let him off. It wasn't like Shippou had a collar or anything, he was free to roam though he enjoyed riding in Inuyasha's hood mostly. But after nosing around for ten minutes had come straight back to inuyasha, begging for petting and affection and that's when Inuyasha knew he was fucked.

 

He now had a pet. A pet he couldn't afford, house or carry around. But the way Shippou curled 

around himself and snuggled into Inuyasha's neck every night  had done its work and now there was nowhere else that he could ever be. And so, here he was, poking a velvet black nose out the flap, probably looking for food.

 

Good thing Inuyasha only sat at the far back of the class, so at least he could bend down, splash some water into a small plate he’d brought for the purpose, without being seen.

 

“Just be quiet.” he said pointlessly as Shippou lapped at the dish. Seemingly satisfied, his head ducked back into the bag and Inuyasha sighed in relief.

 

It was short lived. Shippou , in the next moment, had slithered from the bag and was off. Inuyasha made an impotent grab at the bush of his tail, missing completely, and shippou was already padding his way excitedly under the benches, an entire bouquet of new smells and lost pen caps to explore.

 

“Shit.” Inuyasha hissed to himself. The class was always dead quiet, and now Professor was writing something on the whiteboard, back turned and couldn't see. Frantically he dug in his pockets for a treat, something to lure the dumb animal back, but Shippou was beyond caring. The world was full of things far more interesting than inuyasha just then. Inuyasha sat up, glancing at the silent class once more then shifted closer to his pet.

 

And that was it. Shippou darted away in delight, and Inuyasha felt his heart start pounding. He leapt up abandoning pretense, but it was too late.

 

“Oh my god!”

 

“Whats that doing in here?”

 

“Woah dude, its a cat!”

 

“Is that a fox?”

Shippou caused an immediate stir, like a ripple through the class. Inuyasha was in the aisle by the time Shippou had reach the bottom step, and the growing noise was now frightening. His ears were flat back and he crouched amidst the squeals and shouts of everyone trying to be louder than the last. Inuyasha was already halfway down when a bellow silenced everyone.

 

“ _ What the hell is that doing in my classroom _ ?”

 

Shippou was a small as he could possibly be now, and Inuyasha was on the floor, hands held out to the little fox desperately. But Professor Fujiwara was glaring at them now, and looked as incandescent. Inuyasha was for once without any words, his throat dry and heart hammering as he met the professors eye.

 

Then the door opened.

 

It was Professor Naraku. Inuyasha didn’t take any of his classes, but he recognised him from rumour, and his name that decorated so many of the plaques and trophies in display cases throughout the prestigious college. He’d been a fairly successful musician in his sphere at one point but seemed to prefer the life of an educator. He looked like a supercilious bastard to Inuyasha, but since he didn't actually know the guy, he didnt think about it much.

 

Right now though, the crisply suited man stood stock still viewing the plateau, his expression of delighted surprise  clear.

 

“Well, what is going on your class Professor Fujiwara?”

  
  


-8-

 

“As far as I can see, at the very least My Uchida deserves to have some of his privileges revoked.” Naraku was saying. Inuyasha’s head whipped up.

 

“What? No, it's just a fox for fu- for crying out loud. He wasn’t supposed to be with me. It's not like it’s a habit, I'm a good student-”

 

Naraku waved a hand languidly. “Rules are rules, Mr Uchida. Especially for “ and here Naraku gave Inuyasha a very dirty sideways glance, “ _ Scholarship _ students. And this creature has been living in the dorm? Even more so.”

 

They were in Professor Sesshomaru’s office, having been escorted there after the fox debacle. Inuyasha stood beside the only available chair, which was occupied by Naraku, arms folded across his chest where underneath his hoodie  Shippou had clambered and would not be moved. Now he was stuck between naraku and Professor dickhead and they were talking about taking his credits away as well as shippou and all in all Inuyasha was feeling desperate.

  
  


_ Always, always hanging from the strings of those who had more of everything. Power, money strength… _

 

As always, Inuyasha’s anger was the bodyguard for his fear.

 

“I made one mistake.” he said through gritted teeth glaring at the back of Naraku’s head and Fujiwara’s impassive face. Neither of them seems to want to speak to him directly, as if his existence were distasteful and inconvenient. INuyasha had centuries worth of resententment built up at people who had treated him and others like him exactly the same. 

 

_ You don't matter. You have nothing you are nothing. You are a bothersome stone in my shoe. _

 

“It's not like its a trend. I'm a good student. I don't cause trouble. I-” he tried again.

 

“Shut up.” Naraku said. “It’s not up to the criminal to decide the punishment.”

 

“Criminal!? It's a fucking fox!” Inuyasha exploded.

 

“Both the terminology and the profanity are unnecessary.” Fujiwara finally spoke up, and sent a singeing glance Inuyasha’s way. “It is not up to you to decide what I do in my class Dr Naraku.”

 

“Of course it’s up to the Dean.” Naraku went on as if neither had spoken. A small smile at the corner of his mouth made it seem like he was enjoying the situation. “Though honestly, do we really want to bother him with such a trivial thing?”

 

“Same thing I was wondering about you.” Fujiwara responded sharply. He looked a little pale and definitely on the worse side of grumpy. 

 

“Would You prefer-”

 

“I would prefer you to leave any disciplinary issues to me, as it’s most definitely none of your business.”

 

Inuyasha was still left on the sidelines but the view was interesting. It seemed like even 

Professor stick up his butt hated Naraku. Not like it was hard to do. 

 

Naraku inclined his head, and stood languidly. “Of course. I’ll save you the trouble thought, of informing the dean yourself. I’ll let him know over lunch this afternoon.”

 

Not another word was said until Naraku had left the room, and snicked the door shut behind him, leaving Inuyasha and his favorite professor alone. 

 

Shippou chose that moment to  _ yip _ and poke his head out of Inuyasha neckline snuffling at his face and licking. Inuyasha struggling not to comfort the little thing with usual words because Fujiwara was burning holes in his face with an intense glare.

 

“I have an intense migraine, caused by you bringing a wild animal into my class. Is this your idea of a prank?”

 

Inuyasha immediately shook his head. “Hell no. I just had nowhere else to put him and I wasn't going to miss class. Honestly, he slept through most of it, i-”

 

“You brought a wild animal into my class.” fujiwara was stuck on that.

 

“He isn't wild, ok? I rescued him a month ago, and he’s tame. Obviously.”

 

“When you rescue a stray you take it to the nearest SPCA. You are a student living in the residences, you can't have pets.”

 

“Yeah well, we cant drink or smoke inside our rooms either but that’s pretty much a misnomer.”

 

“That's not how that word is used…” fujiwara massaged his brows, closing his eyes for a moment, and inuyasha saw a transparency to his skin that made him more...human. Then the bitch face was back.

 

“However, Dr Naraku is right. This will have to be reported-”

 

“Please don't take my merits!” Inuyasha burst again, and Shippou curled back into the hoodie. “I need them please.”

 

“It's not up to me.” fujiwara said stoically. “I'll write it up tonight.”

 

“Professor-”

 

“Goodnight Uchida.” 

 

Feeling completely defeated, desperate and hollow...Inuyasha left

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has issues. Sheesh.  
> I was concerned about this fic being too OOC but Icydoodles says it's fine so I'm gonna keep going.


	6. 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I write when I have the time and headspace to do a decent job of it :P

_ There is a swelling storm _

_ And I'm caught up in the middle of it all _

_ And it takes control _

_ Of the person that I thought I was _

_ The boy I used to know _

_ But there, is a light _

_ In the dark, and I feel its warmth _

_ In my hands, and my heart _

_ Why can't I hold on? _

 

  * Dean Lewis , _Waves_



 

Feeling overwrought, Sesshomaru was in no mood to deal with his daughter, who was plying him with tea and puppy dog eyes.

 

“You can’t.” she insisted.

 

“I have to. It’s not a discussion.” he reiterated.

 

“Just because you hate him-”

 

“Rin.” the stern tone snapped her mouth shut. “Regardless of whether or not I disliked him, which I don’t, it’s out of my hands. I must report him, and even if I didn’t Professor Naraku will. 

 

“He broke the rules. Honestly, he brought an animal into class-”

 

“Shippou wasn’t actually being disruptive.”

 

“By definition, a fox inside a place of learning is disruptive… hold on. You know it's name?”

 

Rin was chewing her lip looking to the side, hands tucked between her knees like she did when she was trying not to say something. It was always an effort for her.

 

“Rin,” he said simply, setting his cup down. His tone said, unequivocally,  _ tell me everything right now young lady _ .

 

Whatever dam inside her broke and the words spilled out, “He has a job at the local student bar. He works crazy hours so he can pay for studies ‘cos his scholarship doesn't cover everything!  Basically  _ nothing _ but anyway. If you report him he’ll have to quit, he’ll lose credits,  _ he’ll lose the scholarship Dad- _ ”   
  


“You were in another  _ bar _ ?”

 

Rin swallowed and nodded, caught out. “Ok yeah, you can shit all over me about it later, but just for right now focus. Inuyasha is a good person! He rescued a stray animal that he didn’t have to! 

He works till midnight nearly every night-”

 

“Rin.”

 

“It’s just that  _ you _ have the power here, Dad, here in this situation. You can make this better. You can destroy him or help him.”

 

Sesshomaru leaned forward and put a hand over Rin’s mouth. “Enough. Stop trying to guilt trip me into forgetting that you obviously broke the rules of your freedom, again. I don’t like that and I don't like that you suddenly know so much about this guy.”

 

Rin gently pulled her father's hand away from her mouth, dark eyes glittering. “He’s a really good person.” when Sesshomaru frowned, even more, she talked quickly. “I don't like him like that or anything, he’s actually saved me from some bad decisions. I don’t think he likes girls anyway, so you can stop fluffing your tail about that.”

 

“Rin.” he sighed, and it came from the heart. His daughter was too...willful. Or willing to get into shitty, problematic situations. “Just...I need a shower. Then we will talk about this. In-depth.”

 

“If I promise not to go out at night again for the next two weeks, will you help Inuyasha?” she called to his back as he retreated to the bathroom.

 

“Four weeks and it has no bearing at all on the situation with Uchida. Stay out of it Rin.”

 

Rin puffed out her cheeks before letting the air escape in a whoosh. 

 

-8-

 

The feeling of the room was cold enough to flash-freeze fish.

 

“What?” Naraku said, deadpanning at Sesshomaru. He was obviously pissed off but couldn't actually let his usual poisonous attitude seep through, not in front of Dean Francis, his hefty frame tucked away inside a suit and thick spectacles. For all that he seemed cartoonishly ridiculous in the Dean’s chair, he was still extremely clever, intelligent and had kept his rear int he same seat for more than ten years. Not even Naraku would risk getting on his bad side by showing his bad side.

 

This alone gave Sesshomaru a sense of satisfaction. “You have the same situation, do you not? Professor?”

 

Naraku was glaring daggers, and he all but growled; ”That’s a special case.” 

 

“Hardly. You required an assistant for your ...various…” and here Sesshomaru waved a hand as if trying to form a  concept, “engagements?”

 

“I have a legitimate need for assistance for my theses, class preparation-”

 

“Of course.” Sesshomaru said mildly, overriding. “And since I have been commissioned, by Dean Francis as well, to write a book, I see no reason why I am not allowed the same courtesy?” the last was directed to the Dean, who was watching them both silently.

 

“The student in question...Inuyasha Uchida.” The Dean rumbled, his eyes glazing over slightly in recollection. “Yes, one of the few to gain scholarship last year, very talented, a rather melancholic background...but he did break the rules, Fujiwara.”

 

Sesshomaru nodded. “Yes, and as such we will deduct merits and remand him. However, the act itself wasn’t malicious, he is otherwise a decent student regardless of attitude, and since he is able to earn extra merits through assisting me or a certain amount of hours, I considered it a good avenue. I would rather not turn a charitable act of rescuing a stray into a punishment.”

 

“The boy has a fox living in his  _ dorm room _ .” Naraku objected. “ What kind of precedent does that set?”

 

“Technically, the rules only state no cats, dogs or birds.” Sesshomaru pointed out, for the simple pleasure of getting under Naraku’s skin.

 

“So does that mean we allow weasels, hamsters, foxes, and hippos?” Naraku barked a laugh. 

“Surely, sir, you can’t consider this acceptable?”

 

But the Dean was scratching at a spot on his chin thoughtfully. “In all honesty, I kept a hamster in my room during my college years.  I couldn't part with her when I left home so I snuck her in under my jacket. Smuggled her cage in piece by piece.”

 

Both Sesshomaru and Naraku looked at him, surprised and speechless. Then he shrugged. “But rules are rules. I think as long as a plan can be made with the fox, Fujiwara’s idea sounds excellent. I’ll need to speak to the student as well, of course.”

 

Only Sesshomaru could see the vein in Naraku's neck start to throb, though he remained stone-faced as always. He did, however, turn to Sesshomaru, “Kagura Sumi is an exceptionally talented musician who benefits from working with and for me and under my tutelage. Whereas you seek to take in a student who might even know the difference between a thesis and a Macdonalds menu. Good luck.”

 

Naraku gave a brief nod of greeting to his employer and swept out of the room. Dean Francis, watched with unconcerned eyes. 

 

“You know, working in this industry, one learns how to manage many an overdramatic musician, young and old. I will say, however, that Professor Naraku has mastered the dramatic exit.”

  
  


-8-

  
  


“Praise Jesus!” 

 

Inuyasha scowled. “You are too happy about this.”

 

Miroku was doing a happy dance in the limited between their beds. “The gods heard my prayer! Imagine, all this space to myself!” he stopped struck by a thought. “ oh my...I can invite people over...whenever I want…”

 

Inuyasha turned his back on the betrayal that was Miroku realizing he could have girls over without asking first now that he was being ‘relocated’. He still didn’t know where. He’d simply gotten an official note from a stern RA, which told him he was no longer housing in his current dorms, and that he needed to be ready for relocation by 5PM.

 

“Thanks.” he grumbled. He was still simmering with the fear that he was going to flunk. Without the credits...even losing one single credit would do him in, he didn’t have any time to accumulate an excess. He was living right on a very carefully balanced edge. He glanced momentarily at Shippou, who was happily gnawing a piece of rawhide, having turned his coverlet into a nest of sorts. His fur was a luxuriant red, the tips of his ears ended with delicate pointed hairs. He didn't regret it, not a single thing, but he’d be lying if he said it wasn't all the damn fox’s fault this was happening.

 

“Hey.” Miroku broke into his worrisome ruminations. “Hey, I'm joking, ill stop.”

 

“You’re not joking,” Inuyasha stated, sliding his tote out from under the bed.

 

“Well, a little bit, but I swear I understand. And I still say, if they were going to kick you out, they would have done it a week ago. This isn’t the mob. They wouldn't string you along and dump your ass out on the highway without warning.”

 

“ They’re kicking me out now,” Inuyasha said, dragging clothes from his shelves and stuffing them into his bag. 

  
  


“They’re  _ not _ . They're moving you somewhere new. Not a prison, so stop looking like someone just burned your favorite hoodie” Miroku told him, like it was nothing, and flopped down next to Shippou to play a game of ‘hide the rawhide from the fox’.  Inuyasha wasn't fooled, Miroku was clearly happier than before the news of his impending removal. 

 

“They’ll just give you another roomie you know.” Inuyasha told him gloomily. 

Miroku was hiding the chew tide under his ass, smiling down at the pet. “Whoever it is, he’s bound to be less of a pain in my neck than you are. And won't make the room smell like a wet dog after a shower.”

 

“Fuck off.” Inuyasha groaned. “So glad to hear you're gonna miss me, man-whore.”

 

“Is that any way to speak to a friend you've known for nearly two decades.”

 

“Friend might be stretching it. Burden, maybe. ‘Kid who   leave my house even when he was told to.’ too.”

 

“And I’m grateful for every time you let me hide from my father’s preachings under your bed.”

Inuyasha wasn’t in the mood for Miroku’s  _ se la vie _ attitude, so ignored him as he stuffed as much as he could into his duffel.

 

_ They’ll call you names, because everything you own fits into one bag… _ .        

 

Inuyasha squeezed his eyes closed, tight as he could, and  _ didn’t _ cry.  Without looking at his friend, who might have a big heart but could also be as dense as a brick wall when it came to emotional stuff, he slung the unclosed bag onto his shoulder saying, “ I’ll be back for Shippou after. Annabelle says she’ll take him for tonight at least.”

 

“No problem, mi amigo.” Miroku chirped, still happily play wrestling with the fox, and Inuyasha closed the door behind him. Later, he might get a text from his friend, saying that he’d realized that he’d been a touch insensitive and then try to make up for it by buying Inuyasha food. It usually worked, but only because Inuyasha loved Miroku, and had long ago accepted his friend’s ghastly lack of tact.

 

He trudged, in every sense of the word. His feet dragged, the already worn soles becoming a tiny bit smoother and he slouched them across the ground. His shoulders were slumped, his hands stuffed into the hoodie pocket, and he didn't care that his face was largely curtained by hair that hadn't been brushed. Again.

 

“Ah, Mr Uchida? Well, that is a very unique head of hair isn’t it?”

 

Inuyahsa found himself face to face with a man who seemed kind of familiar but unable to place him. He was clearly not the type to come to the bar, but his demeanor suggested that he was actually, quite familiar with Inuyasha.

 

“Uh, hello?” Inuyasha said cautiously.

 

A hand was offered to him, the light glinted off half moons spectacles. “ Alisdair Francis. 

Although you would call me Dean.”

 

Inuyasha quirked one eyebrow. “Why would I call you Dean if your name is...Oh.”

 

A brief, awkward handshake was exchanged, with Inuyasha’s burgeoning anxiety sending his kind in a million directions. There was an extended silence between them until The Dean broke it.

 

“Well come on, no use lingering in doorways. I’ve come to walk you to your new room.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Inuyasha replied in a small voice. A hand grasped his shoulder and squeezed.

 

“Come on then, no need to look like there's a blade hanging over your neck. Where is your fiendish pet?”

 

Inuyasha blinked and without really paying attention, fund himself being directed towards campus, keeping an easy pace with his headmaster. “He’s...still inside. My friend is watching him until I come back to get him.”

 

“Ah I see. I was hoping to meet the creature. I understand foxes are quite adorable.” the dean chuckled, smiling at some inner thought.

 

“I hope whoever adopts him thinks the same.”

There was another pause, in which Inuyasha watched his feet step and disappear beneath him.

 

“Oh dear. Young man, did you not read your relocation notice?”

 

“I know I'm being shifted because I broke the rules.”  _ and because I'm poor as fuck and not exactly important.                                                                  _

 

“And I'm supposing you stopped there.” the Dean expelled a sigh and carried on his strolling, hands clasped behind his back. “If you had read further you would have seen that you are being moved to a small section of the campus in which students don’t usually occupy. Part of the janitors quarters.”

 

Inuyasha flinched. Well, he might be living with the janitors, but at least he wasn't being expelled….

 

“Thank you sir.” he expressed, sincerely, if without enthusiasm.

 

“Uh, yes. But the main point of moving to this area is that there are no rules against keeping pets in those rooms.”

 

Inuyasha had walked a few more steps before the words hit home. He stared at his shoes, and then at the Dean.

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Well, yes. I honestly thought you already knew. At this explains why you looked so put out just now-”

 

“Thank you!” Inuyasha exclaimed the clapped a hand over his mouth, to hide his stupid grin. “I can keep him?”

 

The Dean chuckled, amused. “Yes. I hope that part at least is clear. Shall we carry on? It can be difficult to find if you don’t know the way, so pay attention.”

 

Inuyasha grit his teeth so he'd keep his mouth shut, but couldn't stop smiling. While they walked, the Dean carried on.

 

“It’s also a little closer to the main campus, so that's another bonus. Although, your particular room used to belong to our recently retired Mrs, Agnes. Sweetheart that she was, she was not very adept at cleaning as she got older, within or without her room. So it might...smell a bit.”

 

“‘Ive stayed in worse,” Inuyasha assured. “It will be no problem, I swear.”

“Yes,” the dean hummed. “I know about your background. While I myself was blessed enough in the lottery of life to have come from a faily affluent family, i know you have had quite the opposite.”

 

Inuyasha felt awkward again but was determined not to let it show.  He shrugged. “Life is what you make of it.”

 

“A good philosophy. I am glad to have you here at the college. The world should know that exceptional talent doesn't come from a single source or even a predictable one.”

 

Inuyasha felt his ears get hot. “Uh, well, I try sir. I want to do well.”

 

“I hear so. You work very hard to keep your credits up. However, the situation with the fox cannot happen again.”

 

“Never. I swear it.”

 

“And of course, I had no choice but to deduct some of your merits. However, since the incident, a few cases were presented to me both against and in favor of you. It’s not a secret that if you lost even a single merit you'd have to leave the college.”

 

Inuyasha swallowed, all the defenses that had been running through his head all week coming to his tongue, “sir-”

 

“I’m not finished.” The Dean said quietly. “ since I choose our limited scholarship students myself, I obviously do not want to have to see one off. Especially for something so silly as adopting a fox.  And so. Your merits will be earned back but through some good menial labor.”

 

They rounded a face brick building and Inuyasha tried not to look completely horrified. “You want me to be a ..janitor?”

 

“What? No!” the Dean laughed aloud, a strange hoarse sound. “Oh, I see now how you might have thought that. Ha, no, but thank you for the chuckle. No, from Monday, you will need to speak to Professor Fujiwara about it.”

 

“...what?”

 

“And since you have assured me, several times that you are a good student and are going to work hard to convince me that you belong here, I won’t worry about it any further. Will I?”

 

There was a look directed his way and Inuyasha understood the meaning of it. “You don’t need to worry about a thing, sir.”

 

“Lovely. And here we are.”

 

Inuyasha let the older man step in front of him, using a single silver key to jangle open a steel door with paint chipped off here and there. It swung open and Inuyasha had to work not to start grinning again.

 

“Its a bit smaller than your room, but on the other hand you don't have to share it with anyone other than a fox. And you have your own bathroom too.” the Dean said, looking inwards. Then he made a face. “I’m afraid you're going have to work a little to remove the smell of onions though.”


	7. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, I get to put them in a room together!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for typos. I edit on the fly.

_ In the sound of the sea _

_ You, with your words like knives _

_ And swords and weapons that you use against me _

_ You, have knocked me off my feet again, _

_ Got me feeling like a nothing _

_ You, with your voice like nails _

_ On a chalk board, calling me out when I'm wounded _

_ You, picking on the weaker man _

_ You can take me down _

_ With just one single blow _

_ But you don't know what you don't know _

_ Someday I'll be living in a big old city _

_ And all you're ever gonna be is mean _

_ Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me _

_ And all you're ever gonna be is mean _

_ Why you gotta be so mean? _

  
  


  * Taylor Swift



  
  


Inuyasha found himself caught, by the elbow, and nearly fell over backwards as the small hand keep him inplace.

 

He glanced backwards, his glare ready, and had to settle for a deadpan instead. “Rin. I need to go.”

 

“You can't.” she said, mouth tight.

 

“Uh, yes I can. Also, I need to pee and eat. Cos you know, body cycles and all…”

 

“No I mean,” she said, restarting herself. “I need to talk to you first.”

 

Inuyasha tugged on his sleeve. “Can you let go?”

 

She released her hold grudgingly. “It’s about my dad-”

 

Inuyasha withheld a heavy breath, the heavy ball in his chest tightening. “What about him? I 

know I’ve been roped into being his gopher already.”

 

“Yeah but….” Rin tried, taken aback. “You can stay now you know? You don't have to leave college.”

 

“But I have to cut back on my shifts at the bar.” Inuyasha muttered. He didn't want to seem ungrateful, but less hours meant less money, and that meant less of everything else. “Look, it’s fine. I know about the deal. Why are you getting all twisted about it.”

 

“I'm not.” Rin grumped. “Ok, I am a little. I just...i was worried about you and being suspended, and Shippou…”

 

“I’m fine, he’s fine. We got moved to a new room where I can keep him.” Inuyasha said, dropping his voice a little.

 

“Oh my god!” Rin lit up. “You did! That's so great! Where? On your own! Or-” she was halted by a hand over her mouth, and a scowl. 

 

“Shut up, i don't think the whole world needs to know im keeping a fox alright? Never mind that I broke the rules and got away with it. I’m not that guy, i don't want people to see me that way.”

 

Rin nodded, moving inuyasha's hand at the same time.

 

“Ahem.”

 

They both  turned to see Professor Fujiwara, neatly dressed and looking his usual ‘rubbed the wrong way’ self. 

 

“What Are you doing?” he spoke low.

 

Inuyasha belatedly realised he still had a hand over Rin’s mouth. Or, from a father’s perspective, was still mahandling his daughter. He whipped his hand away to quickly to not look guilty, though Rin didn't seem to mind either way.

 

“Hey dad.” she said, eyes at their widest and most cute.

 

“Go to class.” her father replied succinctly.

 

“Going.” she replied, turning away before even completing the word. Inuyasha found himself pinned by a gaze not unlike the eye of Sauron. “Mr Uchida, come with me.”

 

_ I just wanted to go godaam piss _ ...Inuyasha thought to himself, following as he was told nonetheless.

 

-8-

 

Sesshomaru led the student back to his office in relative silence. The halls still thronged, the noise of changing venues, moving towards different classes and the lunchtime rituals. No one noticed the two of them, though there was a subtle but definite slip  of the tide where it parted for professor Fujiwara, so that he wouldn't need to shift and dodge like the common rabble.

 

He opened his door, without bothering to see if uchida followed. Though it had been his idea, he was far from feeling altruistic about it. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for a wayward students place in the college, sacrificing his time and patience to do so. Sesshomaru was NOT  a team player. So he started by letting his bag drop lightly beside his desk and saying,

 

“I do not need an assistant.”

 

He let himself slide into his seat, not feeling nearly as dapper as he knew he looked. But that's why they called it armour. Dress the way you want to feel, do not show the tremors… 

 

Uchida looked dumb struck. While this wasn't totally uncommon, it was still interesting to watch. Sesshomaru let the awkward silence drag out a little, before fixing him with a severe stare.

 

“But before I explain your purpose here, let us go over a very basic ground rule. Do not touch my daughter. Ever.”

 

Uchida’s eyes snapped wide. “Look, she came up to me-”

 

“Im know exactly what my daughter is like. I still do not want young men touching her.”

 

Uchida’s reactions were predictable from miles away. It didn't shock sesshomaru when he showed his annoyance. “Hey, if someone is gonna grab my clothes, and try to talk my ear off, i'm gonna react, ok?”

 

“You feel it’s alright to manhandle women?” 

 

“Hold on, that's not what happened-”

 

“I don't care what you do with anyone else, but avoid any future physical encounters with my daughter. Clear?”

 

-8-

 

It was  _ clear _ , and Inuyasha was also  _ clearly  _ being called a pervert. Forgetting he owed this guy his continued attendance at the college, he took a few steps closer, jabbing a finger at the air in front of his teacher.

 

“I am not a scumbag. I have zero interest in your nosey kid. How about you tell her to stop stalking her at my job? How about you tell her to stop letting every rando with a skeezy smile get her number?”

 

“What are you insinuating?” Fujiwara replied darkly, no longer looking very relaxed in his chair. Inuyasha realised the perceived meaning to his words and took a mental step back.

 

“Not that. That came out wrong. She’s a good kid, but I have no interest alright? She keeps following me around and what am I supposed to do? I didn't ask for it. She cornered me after class just now and all I fucking want to do is take a fucking piss.”

 

Silence rang between them, and Fujiwara did that slow blink thing, where you could see he was gathering himself. Inuyasha knew it well enough by now, watching the eyes dark from anger disappear behind pale eyelids, the fine eyelashes resting against high cheeks for a moment before rising again.

 

“Alright. I do...know how my daughter can be. I apologise for misunderstanding. But so that we are clear, do not involve yourself with my daughter romantically.”

 

Inuyasha barely held back an eye-roll. “Not even if you paid me.” he coughed when he saw the glare. “Not that she isn't a nice kid, but no way. That's all kinds of- yeah no. I won't.”

 

Fujiwara touched a long finger to his temple, a delicate almost not-there movement. His knuckles were the only texture in the smoothness of the skin. “Alright, that's over with. Now sit down, and let me explain exactly what you are doing here.”

 

Inuyasha moved to sit, a little awkwardly. So far, every single interaction he’d had with this guy had been either awkward or painful or both. He didn't relish the thought of being his go to boy. Not that he had much choice.

 

“I have been requisitioned by the college to write a comprehensive book on the classicists from 12th to the 16rh century, and the effects they had on music in a global sense from then until modern day. I have set a timeline for myself to complete it by year end. Now as I said, I do not actually require an assistant but since I find myself with one, I may as well make use of you. Since I already know your skill set with regards to actual writing, I  _ won't  _ be asking you to proof read, but your research abilities are decent, so we will start there. I will need you to locate the information I need, as I need it, as well as any other small jobs that will make my life simler and keep you out from under my feet. Understood?”

 

The sign was already out of his mouth before Fujiwara finished speaking. “Sure thing, how do you take your coffee, sir?”

 

“I only drink tea, which you will never need to make. The kitchen just through door behind you, should you want coffee for yourself.” Inuyasha twisted to look, seeing a door lead to a very narrow mini kitchen. “And your sarcasm is noted and unnecessary. This will work best if you simply stay quiet and do as I tell you.”

 

“Act like I'm not here unless you need tea or books. Got it.” Inuyasha said, and raised his hands in surrender when a sharp look was angled at him. “Not sarcastic. Just simplifying.”

 

“Good. You can start with the personal histories of the musicians covered in Chapter 5 of your coursework textbook. I am assuming that this would be the first time you’ve needed to help with any kind of academic research…?”

 

Since it couldn't be denied, inuyasha could only nod, feeling his ears heat a little, but at least he kept his mouth shut. Fujiwara was a little too quick with the folder that he pushed towards Inuyasha. “Here. this will serve as a yardstick for the level of work I expect from you. Specifically the reference section, pay careful attention to it.”

 

“No problem.” Inuyasha replied with ill grace, but took the folder anyway.

 

“I am aware you work at the local student bar. Even though it should be obvious I will say anyway that this job is the that takes precedence.”

 

If Inuyasha didn't get a fucking gold medal for sitting there and not exploding, he’d buy one for himself. “I've already moved my shifts around to suit...you.”

 

“Good. now in terms of compensation, while I cannot offer much, there is an amount set aside within the budget for this project-”

 

“You're going to  _ pay  _ me?” Inuyasha’s jaw dropped. 

 

“It's a job, you earn your pay.” Fujiwara stated flatly, his expression supercilious, like he expected Inuyasha to enjoy being paid to do nothing.

 

“Hey, I’m just surprised. I thought I was getting paid in credits, not cash.”

  
  


“It’s simple ethics Uchida. The college is not allowed to employ you without compensating your time. It’s minimum wage, so don’t get too excited.”

 

“Anything is better than nothing.” Inuyasha was already feeling relieved, knowing that the fallout from less income wouldn't be as bad as he’d thought. 

 

Fujiwara turned away from Inuyasha already focussed on the glow from his laptop, but he wanted to say at least the one thing he was supposed to.

 

“Um, yeah. This is a bit late now, but thanks for helping me out.”

 

“You have Rin to thank for that. But you can thank me by simply staying away from her.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged. “The sun moved where it moves.” he muttered without thinking.

 

“Without asking the moon.” Fujiwara added and they both halted.

 

“What did you say?” they said in unison.

 

Gazes locked in innocent surprise, it was the first time they'd shared a moment that was absent of any kind of antagonism, though the significance of that was lost of both of them right then.

 

“It was something my mother used to say...to say that, like, sometimes people are just going to do whatever they want…”

 

“Its an old japanese phrase.” Fujiwara added quietly. “Your...mother?”

 

“Yeah.” the notion grounded Inuyasha, pulling him away from the unrealness of that moment. 

“My...foster mother.”

 

“You're adopted. Of course.”

 

There was a little feeling of a strIng snapping, old scar that would never really heal being nudged. “What do you mean ‘of course’?”

 

Fujiwara glanced away, and something in his expression then set Inuyasha's hackles down again, a glimpse of something too ….fragile to persecute. “I meant that I saw it in your portfolio. It doesn't have any bearing on your studies.”

 

The words sounded odd when he said them, like thin paper covering something beneath, but before Inuyasha could make anything of it, a hand was waved at him. 

 

“We are finished for today  Uchida. Go to the bathrooms, and go to your tasks. I need the references I asked for by tomorrow morning.”

 

Inuyasha reached for his bag, and stood automatically. Byt the time he closed the office door behind him, he felt like he’d just gotten off a rollercoaster. Whatever the next 8 months were gonna be like, ‘peaceful’ was likely not in the cards.

 

-8-

 

The presence of Inuyasha Uchida was becoming an ever-burgeoning problem in Sesshomaru’s life. As soon as the door closed, he delved back into his computer, logging into his user portal and bringing up the docket with the man’s name on it. After a few minutes of furious clicking, Sesshomaru’s eyes found the thing he’d been looking for and dreading to find.

 

“Izayoi…” he breathed, covering his eyes with a tired hand. He’d known her as Irene, at first. But had later, in his older years, learned her Japanese name. Gleaned from her on the day he’d left the crowded house with paint peeling from its walls, the place he’d been allowed to call home for most of his childhood years. Uchida must have arrived as he’d left because he would surely have remembered another foster child with the same shock of white, rough hair. He would not have forgotten that kind of fact.

 

Why hadn't she said? Although why would she have? The hadn't shared much time together once he’d gone, barely any, if he could face his guilt and be honest about it. He hasn't wanted to, and after his attack, he’d refused contact after the first few calls. And then she’d died, and it was too late to change that. But she would have, surely, told him if...if by some chance… he had some kind of sibling.

 

Would she even have known? Orphans were naturally parentless.Sesshomaru had never known a father, and irene had never said that she knew any different. But she could have lied. She might have lied. But even so surely she would have told him, told Sesshomaru that he wasn't the only child abandoned by a shared parent…

 

The words and hypotheses rushed around and round in mind, with no relief or exit.

At the very least, Sesshomaru had a foster brother, and not only was he his teacher, but now his employer also.

 

A heartfelt groan was not enough. But it was all Sesshomaru had right then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is in the process of being written ;)


	8. 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tea is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the wait. This chapter was all fleshed out ages ago, I just hadn't had time to edit anything. So it took a while.
> 
> In all honesty, it probably still is a bit rickety in a few places. I hope you will bear with them and skim over those parts :P

It was...not actually that bad. Working for Professor Fujiwara.

 

He’d been banished to a small table that looked like it’d been rescued from a high school classroom, in the corner.but it was quiet, and he could just get on with things. Fujiwara gave him a job, a specific area to research and Inuyasha went and dug out every scrap of interesting material he could find before coming back. The first time he’d done it he’d gotten a flat look for his efforts.

 

“I didn't ask for a personalised history of every time Timote Anschlag went to the bathroom and how many women he got to fuck. I need his actual musical impact on the world around him. Do you not listen when I speak?”

 

He knew his nostrils were flaring, but he didnt care. “Yes I do and this counts. It’s just a rumour, but if he did sleep with Alice Von Dauershein, that’s how he got to play at the Grand Opening of the Duchess’s of Bauer’s debut, which became his first real public show, and also where he was first noticed by Sir Rufus-”

 

“Yes alright I see what you mean, However that doesn't apply here. Everyone knows these facts. What I need is an example of how history became diverted, or changed, because of that night. If it had not been for that night, would Anschalu’s second symphony be the preloaded ringtone in your cell phone?”

 

“Is it?” Inuyasha responded, a little stunned.

 

“No.” Fujiwara told him. “It’s not. But it is the baseline for the jingle for a popular brand of bubblegum. Do you understand what I need now?”

 

After a moment, Inuyasha nodded. “Yeah. I was working from the past to modern day, but I need to go the other way around, right?”

 

“Well done. Go away now.” Fujiwara told him without another second of his attention speared. 

“And turn the kettle on before you go.”

 

“I can make you tea before I go.”

 

“No. Just leave.”

 

Inuyasha was used to this. Fujiwara kept him tucked away in the office corner, refused to make use of him anymore then he absolutely had to. He took what information Inuyasha scrounge up, with advice and ways to make it more succinct, and nothing else. He clearly was not trusted on the tea thing. Since he was fine with his lunch break being sacrificed, inuyasha often came and sent an hour or two during the school day, so he didn't have to worry about Shippou feeling neglected. Well more than usual. He still had to rush home every day or find another pair of shoes shredded. But Annabelle had taken pity on him and was keeping Shippou with her more often than not and it made a huge difference.

 

It was simple. They didn't need to be friends. Inuyasha just needed to do what he was told and stay out of the way. Unlike most people he met in a position of authority, Fujiwara didn't seem to target his snobbery at Inuyasha specifically, but rather distribute evenly amongst everyone he interacted. Which wasn't great, but at least Inuyasha didn’t feel like he was being singled out for being poor, and an orphan.

 

Nothing had been mentioned since that weird conversation either, and Inuyasha supposed that was just as well.

 

He’d been quietly doing his job for almost three weeks wen some kind of careful balance he’d not even been aware of, tipped.

 

It was that kind of feeling, when you are at the end of the week, at the end of the friday and you just can't wait to get home for god's sake and hopefully relax with a beer and some buddies. 

 

Although in Inuyasha’s case, he had a shift to get to, but there was a solid hour between end of day and start of shift, which he wanted to use taking Shippou for a walk somewhere green and full of space. A segment of fresh air before back to the usual. He just had to go past the office to drop off the latest set of papers, after the streaks of red line corrections had been corrected yet again, and he could escape.

 

Usually it was empty, Fujiwara gone off doing whatever things he was supposed to do and all, and Inuyasha could slip in and out, setting the folders neatly in the In tray, careful not to upset the ordered space that Fujiwara so clearly cultivated.

 

But when he went in that time, he saw the chair occupied and caught a glimpse of Fujiwara looking more tired than ever, a hand covering his eyes, the blinds drawn, and the glow from the laptop making his skin seem unhealthy and pale. He was clearly startled by the door opening, because his elbow slipped, and he caught himself. It was a small, minute image of clumsiness, the kind of thing anyone might do. But on Fujiwara, it suddenly highlighted, every other small thing that was not quite right. The collar was undone and tie thrown negligently over the back on his chair. A slouch to Fujiwara’s shoulders that was too human, a single, flyaway strand of white hair trying to free itself from the usually tight french braid Fujiwara probably slept in.

 

The entire scene was gone in an instant. Or mostly. Fujiwara gathered himself, though the effort remedies Inuyasha of the way a spider gathers its web; a laboriously process, not completed quickly. Strands of cobweb still seemed to drag themselves towards him.

 

“...sorry. I just wanted to drop this off..” he said, uncertain, holding a folder up.

 

Fujiwara blinked at him then away. “Yes fine. Do so and then enjoy your weekend.”

 

Inuyasha stepped closer, letting the folder slide quietly into its place. For some reason he felt like he was intruding on some kind of fragility. Another glance at his professor confirmed it. It wasn't just the screen that made him seem wan; the man was tired. Bags were obvious under his eyes, his posture exhausted, his eyes squinting and lazed as he stared at the screen.

 

At a loss, Inuyasha functioned on automatic. “I’ll make you some tea.”

 

“Dont.” Fujiwara replied automatically, he’d said the same so many times.

 

“Yeah well. I'm gonna.” inuyasha said, his resolve solidifying. He’d made his own coffee in there before, he knew the mini-kitchen well enough. It  exactly difficult. “It’s just tea for fucks sakes.”

 

“Could you not use profanity every chance you get?” but the complaint was tired and had no impetus.

 

“Fine. it’s just tea, for  _ fork’s _ sake.”

 

“Your wit, as always, is blunt no matter what language you use.”

 

“Thanks. It’s a skill.”

 

They hadn't talked like this before, and Inuyasha might have found it somewhat uncomfortably strange if his back wasn’t toward the other man. The kettle was boiling, and he took the tea tin down from its shelf. There was only chamomile or earl grey, and this felt like a earl grey moment. 

 

“While I feel you should expand your skill set, I do _ not  _ feel it should include making me tea.”

 

The kettle clicked, and Inuyasha poured boiling water into the mug. Spying manuka honey, he added a spoon of it to the brew and stirred. “I’m pretty good with making drinks you know.”

 

“Working at a bar does most certainly does not qualify you for brewing tea.”

 

“Yeah well it might shock you but people drink tea outside of bars too. I might have actually made a cup or two in my life before.”

  
“My confidence is not  increased.” 

 

When Inuyasha turns back, steaming mug in hand, Fujiwara was leaning elegantly against his hand, watching him approach. Though it was probably just the exhaustion making his eyes seem darker and more intense than usual, but it still sent a strange rippling of goosebumps over Inuyasha's shoulders and chest. He set the cup down on the desk.

 

“Um. Drink.” he said, still feeling off kilter.

 

“I told you not to bother making it, since I wont drink it.” Fujiwara stated.

 

“But since I did make it, try it.” Inuyasha retorted.

 

That slow closing of the eyes once more, which Inuyasha realised was Fujiwara’s way of grounding himself. 

 

“Why are you so excessively tiresome?” Fujiwara replied on a sigh.

 

“Well, knowing Rin, you should be used to it.”

 

“Even parenthood is not as aggravating as interacting with you on a daily basis.”

 

“Ok, I got that you're tired as fu- as fork. And probably hungry to boot. But could you lay off the insults for once? I’m just trying to help you here. It's my  _ job _ .”

 

There was a pause when Fujiwara’s eyes narrowed. 

 

“Alright. I’ll take one sip if it will send you away.”

 

“For crying out loud. Forget it. Throw it away for all I care. God, and you call me aggravating.” Inuyasha said, getting up suddenly, abruptly done with the passive aggressive fight he was never _ not _ having with this guy. “Have fun working yourself into a coma. See you monday.”

He said, closing the door a little harder than he had to.

 

-8-

 

Sesshomaru sat staring at his laptop screen, his eyes too tired to focus on the words typed there. After a few minutes, he reached for the offending cup, and stood, intent of pouring it down the drain.

 

Tea making was a delicate thing. Even if it was with just a bag and hot water. But the scent of earl grey reached his nose and such was his exhaustion that he threw caution to the wind and decided to try it, at least. Just a sip. God Dammit if he wasn't  _ craving _ some earl grey just then.

He couldn't trust anyone but himself and Rin to make him tea. 

  
Ten minutes later, the lights were turned off, the laptop closed and Sesshomaru was shrugging a jacket on before heading out the door.

 

An empty mug sat on the desk, its porcelain still warm.

 

-8-

 

“Fuck no. Get off my porch.”

 

“You don’t even  _ have _ a porch, you have one step that smells a little bit like onions.”

 

“So then why do are you still begging me to lend it to you so you can hookup?”

 

Inuyasha and Miroku were having this particular stand off in his entryway, with Shippou threading excitedly around their feet, happy  because his two dads were in the same place for once.

 

“Please, Inu. Pleeeeeese.”

 

“No way.”

 

“It’s for Sango.”

 

That stalled Inuyasha’s next retort. He halted a beat before laughing out loud. “You wish.”

 

“No really. I swear it.” Miroku told him earnestly. “Could we at least do this inside? I don’t want my conversations to be the local live entertainment.”

 

“Your  _ life _ is a tv drama.” Inuyasha said, but let him in anyway. Shippou scampered in behind, too delighted and punctuating his pants with little yips and happiness. “There’s no way Sango would let you within 100 yards of her.”

 

“Well she did. She finally gave in to my manly charm.” Miroku said making himself comfortable on Inuyasha’s bed and Shippou leapt into his lap.

 

“Says the ‘man’ who still can’t grow any facial hair.”

 

“My dick’s still bigger than yours.”

“You’re the only one who cares.” Inuyasha shot back, and went back to making himself and Shippou dinner. (Noodles and some kitten kibble.)

 

“Anyway, I took her on a date last week, and I want this one to be special.”

 

“So special means sleeping with her on the second date?” Inuyasha stirred his noodles with a fork. “I'm still not buying she’s even speaking to you past “ _ you want extra soy sauce with that? _ ”

 

A disgruntled, over-dramatic sigh from behind him made him snicker. “Fine. here. Look at these and then stop giving me grief.”

 

A cell phone was passed to Inuyasha. As he sat down, oodles in one hand, he sed the other to scroll through messages on Miroku’s phone. His brows lifted a little in surprise. Well, it was definitely sarcastic enough to be her, ot the usual sappy brainless nattering Miroku’s ladies usually had. These actually seemed intelligent.

 

“Wow. Well done for getting her digits. Finally.”

 

Miroku, eye closed and head bowed, tapped the place over his heart. “After much prayer and perseverance my friend.”

 

Inuyasha only rolled his eyes.

 

“So now will you let me have your room?”

 

“Fuck off. I said no.” Inuyasha said around some noodles.

 

“Come on!”

 

“What, your roommate being stingy?”

 

“Don't even get me started. The guys more pious than I am and he doesn't even do church.”

 

“That's not hard dude.”

“ And somehow he found out about my dad and keeps trying to do bible study with him.” Miroku told him with a haunted expression.”

 

“Serves you right for doing a victory dance when I got relocated.” Inuyasha said frankly. “As your friend, I have to tell you honestly you're a slut. Which is why I don’t get why you think Sango would wanna sleep with you on the second date?”

 

Miroku seemed genuinely confused. “You think she won't want to?”

 

Another eye roll. “You really think with your dick too much. How are you even passing your courses?”

 

“Wait I’m serious. What should I do then?”

Inuyasha put down his empty bowl and met his friends gaze, astonished. “Really? Haven't you ever dated?”

 

“Um...that like, girls without the sex part? Not so much. Not since my teens anyway.”

 

“Whore.”

 

“Jealous.” Miroku responded without missing a beat. “So what then?”

 

“‘Roku,” Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head. “Why do you even like Sango? She’s not easy and she’s guaranteed high maintenance.”

 

Miroku wide dark eyes were honest. “Because she’s...hot?”

 

“Lots of girls are hot. I've never seen you chase so hard. You're gonna do the same thing you do with every girl you flirt with, with the one girl you've actually worked hard to get? Then what? Fuck her and forget her?”

 

Inuyasha watched his friends face scrunch up, looking sort of confused and little bit put off.

“I don't...want to do that. I think.”

 

Inuyasha was impressed. “Wow. I think I just saw your character evolve. If you were a pokemon you would have levelled up.”

 

“Ugh, I feel weird now.” Miroku sad, still looking upset. Or a few seconds, the only sound was Shippou noisily licking his bowl clean.

 

“How do you do this?” Miroku asked, voice quieter now.

 

“This? Liking someone?”

 

“...i think so?”

 

Inuyasha shrugged. Being Pansexual mean he had a lot of love to give, but it didn't mean it was always a two way street. “I don't know. We’re different. I just like people easily.”

 

“Without the sex?”

 

“Sex is great too. But mostly because I really like them.”

 

“It's better because you like them?”

 

“I don't know? I've never slept with someone I didn't like.”

“Yeah but you like people a lot, man. You fall hard.”

 

“Shut up.” like he needed reminding. Kagome, though they had broken up over a year ago, 

was still a painful memory for him. There was a deeper silence then, a familiar dip in Inuyasha’s chest when he thought of her. He was jolted out of it by a sharp elbow to the side.

 

“It’s been more than a year buddy. Time to let go and move on.” Miroku said, rueful and apologetic for once.

 

Inuyasha shrugged. “We’re still friends. It’s not her fault she had to move back to Japan.”

 

“She had a choice, but we’ve had this conversation too many times and I’d rather stop before you become all glarey.” Miroku rattled off quickly. “Ïm just saying, you know, it’s ok to go falling hard for someone new.”

 

Inuyasha decided to ignore him. “Like I said it's not the same. Anyway, if you want my advice. Take her out somewhere. Go have fun.”

 

“Fun.”

 

“Like bowling. Aquarium. Wine tasting…”

 

“Oh my god!” Miroku suddenly shouted, grabbing Inuyasha into a headlock. “That’s fucking perfect! Wine tasting! I can do that! I love wine.”

 

“Lord knows you do.” Inuyasha grunted, shoving himself out of his friends enthusiasm. “Glad I could help you tarnish your soul a little more.”

 

“I’m gonna text her right now.” Miroku said, already on his phone. 

 

“Sure thing.” Inuyasha said, knowing his presence was no longer needed. “If I leave you here, while I walk Shippou, promise it won't smell like a brothel when I come back.”

 

“Asshole.”

 

“Takes one to know one.” Inuyasha replied as he slipped a loose leash over Shippou, who was already scratching at the door.

 

-8-

 

Inuyasha let out a huge breath, a hot feeling of achievement in his chest. Collecting the paper, tapping the sheaf neatly on the table to align the edges and slotting it into the pale green folder, he stood with a bounce in his step. Walking over to the professor's desk as quietly as possible, he let it slide near soundlessly into the in tray, before pivoting on his heel  and heading straight to the loop on his bag, catching it on the upswing.

 

“That was fast.”

 

The words stowed his steps to the door. Turning back halfway, he nodded.

“Ÿeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it now.” he replied cautiously.

 

Fujiwara however, took the newly settled folder and opened it, while Inuyasha held a small breath. There was no background music today, they had worked in near silence for close to three hours, and the turning of pages was no exception. Inuyasha watched the nimble fingers pick up and turn the pages he’d just edited and printed, the shadowed eyes that scrutinised his work as they always did. He waited to be pulled back, for a mistake to be highlighted.

 

But after a shockingly short time, the folder was closed and placed delicately back in its tray.

“Well done.”

 

Inuyasha blinked, still on edge. Fujiwara met his wide eyed gaze tiredly.

 

“Yes? Was there something else?”

 

“Üh no.” Inuyasha said coming out of the shock. “I’m just...surprised I guess.”

 

“Well, I suppose I could say the same. I only stopped you because you finished earlier than usual. As you know, I do not appreciate hurried work.”

 

Inuyasha  _ did _ know, having learned the hard way after a few altercations. “Ÿeah. I think i'm just getting better at doing it right. The way you need it.”

 

“So I see.”

 

Inuyasha knew better than to expect praise, but at least the tension inside him had evaporated. “Älright, well, I’ll-”

 

“Any reason for the rush?”

 

Once again turning back, his reluctance was clear. “I’m not trying to skimp on my hours here for the bar, just so you know. I don't even have a shift today. I just thought it would be great to get started on assignments early.”  _ And maybe sleep before 1AM _ , he added to himself.

 

“Is there a reason you can't do so here? You have a desk after all.”

 

Fujiwara made it sound like a throw away suggestion, as if it mattered little, his attention already back on his laptop. But Inuyasha wasn't the type to let go of that kind of detail.

 

“Uh, because you literally told me not to be here more than absolutely necessary and that when I  _ am  _ here, act like I'm  _ not  _ here. Didn't think I’d be welcome to just sit in your office and do classwork when I could be out of your hair.”

 

“Well as long as you don't bring food in here, it’s not a problem. Besides, it would make it easier for me to have you closer, if you're going to have your nose in academic work anyway.”

 

There was definitely a screwy look on his face, Inuyasha knew it. He could feel his eyebrows twisting in confusion, but he couldn't stop it. He opened his mouth.

 

Closed it. Opened it and closed it again. Then he looked at the carpet.

 

“So, I guess my tea isn't too bad then?” he asked eventually.

 

Äfter a pause, Fujiwara answered. “Speaking of, I would like a cup, please.”

 

An warm oddness was growing in Inuyasha's chest, a little bit like the feeling of victory but he knew better than to crow about it too much. “Ÿes, sir.”

 

“If you think that you calling me ‘sir’ remotely fools me into thinking you actually mean it, you can stop.”

 

“Ÿes, sir.”

 

Inuyasha didn’t miss the brief, sharp glower angled at him, but grinned anyway. “Just gonna get that tea then.”

 

“Two spoons of honey.”

“Demanding. I have homework you know.”

 

“Just get the damned tea.”

 

Feeling generally buoyant, he smirked dumbly at the tea cups he was making as he stirred. 

Nevertheless, as he set the cup down on its coaster beside his professor, he had to voice a nagging thought.

 

“So um, you being nice to me. Is that about the orphan thing?”

 

He didn't miss the way the Fujiwara’s nostrils flared for a moment, but his expression remained stoic. 

 

“Uchida, I couldn’t care less about it. You do not have the monopoly on sad backstories. I too, am an orphan, you don't find me using it as leverage for anything. If you must have a reason, think of my ‘niceness’ as a thank you for looking after Rin, while she continues to ignore both me and her curfew.”

 

To cover his reaction, Inuyasha took a sip of too hot tea, then hissed a curse. “You’re welcome, then. I guess.”

 

“Let’s see if you still think I’m being nice after you read the email I’ve just sent you.”

 

Escaping the awkwardness, Inuyasha went to the PC allocated to him at his small desk, since he still lacked a laptop. A minute later, his face dropped. 

“

Äre you fucking serious? I can only get this from the backlogs and that mean dealing with Mr Voren and you know he refuses flat out to talk to male students!”

 

Fujiwara took a sip from his mug, unphased. 

 

“Good tea.”


	9. 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are large gaps between chapters. I apologize. But I hope it's worth waiting for anyway.
> 
> You can say hi on https://aphroditewritesstuff.tumblr.com/

_ Whoa, gravity is working against me _

_ And gravity wants to bring me down _

_ Oh, twice as much ain't twice as good _

_ And can't sustain like one half could _

_ It's wanting more that's gonna send me to my knees _

 

_ Gravity- John mayer _

  
  
  


It was past midnight and Inuyasha was typing out his fifth assignment with exhaustion honed to a point by determination. It wasn’t unusual exactly, but the fact that he was doing it in the college library was. 

The library, understanding students and The Way of the Last Minute Assignment was open nearly all hours on weekdays, with a skeleton staff available made up of older students. Inuyasha preferred to work from the comfort of his bed, with Shippou snuffling into his armpit, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. He’d run out of data, and the college had free internet connectivity. Not to mention he still hadn’t been able to afford a new laptop that wasn’t a mere step up from his last laptop, which was currently being used as a doorstop.

 

He puffed out a breathe as he went over the document one more time, looking for any red lines of doom before submitting it though the student portal.  That whittled down his ever present list of essays to a manageable amount and he could now either sleep a few hours, or get going on the next one.

 

Instead, he honoured the tradition of doing neither of those things, and opened a new tab on his browser, looking for some brain-porridge-inducing nonsense to relax his mind for a minute or thirty. The college home page came up, since all browsers were automatically set to go there first, though Inuyasha was unsure why. His eyes drifted over the familiar images; a slideshow of the campus green and amphitheatre, smiling happy students doing something on the way to somewhere else, the staff all standing and tidy.

 

Inuyasha spotted Fujiwara much faster than he used to, since he was more attuned to him now after all. He leaned closer, mousing over the image so it wouldn't slide away while he looked. Fujiwara had the same deadpan expression, the same braid and almost the same three piece suit as he usually wore. He probably had five. The text box that came up when he hovered over the picture listed the staff names, but Fujiwara’s had a little extra text to it.

 

( _ also guesting with us this year, we have pianist Sesshomaru Fujiwara, to teach while writing his next book _ )

 

Hmm.

 

Inuyasha smeared his hands over his face, as if he were trying to thin the exhaustion through contact alone,  and looked at the photo again. Then he went to click on the staff tab.

 

It wasn’t that he didn't care about Fujiwara's history. He knew in a peripheral sort of way that Sesshomaru Fujiwara had been some hot-shot musician at one point in his life, but not much else. He hadn’t gone into it because well, life was just so fucking busy. And more than half the staff were known in the musical world for something or the other, apparently you couldn't get a job in the college unless you had that kind of qualification,  _ must have been seen rubbing elbows with the musical elite  _ kind of deal. But since he was working for the guy, he should probably know a little more detail, especially since he knew about Inuyasha being a poor orphan and all.

 

He clicked away for a few minutes, then leaned closer, his expression becoming more intense.

 

Then he went to google and typed in _ Sesshomaru Fujiwara. _

 

Anyone watching would have seen how Inuyasha’s face frowned a little more, making the bags under his eyes more prominent. After twenty minutes, he said under his breath.

 

“Well, shit.”

  
  


-8-

 

There was a box that Inuyasha lugged around with him wherever he went or moved. It was anything precious or pretty, it was an old all star shoe box. It travelled exterior was obvious but the worn edges of cheap cardboard and the faded print. The way it had been taped back together in places. It was a bit like a velveteen box, but not as romantic.

 

In it, were the very few things that he had left of his life when his mother had still been alive. Well, his adoptive mother. She had bequeathed it to him and in spite of himself (or maybe because of himself) he had never actually really had look at at its contents. It didn't have much in it anyway, but it felt like all the little things it might contain were bigger than he was at the moment he’d first held th box in his hands. Words like ‘grief’ and ‘sadness’ and ‘I miss you’ didnt feel right, couldn't fit inside his mouth. Sentiment like that had been assessed and disregarded long ago, when a much younger, lonely inuyasha had realised that he could keep inflating himself full of longing and wishes and never ever burst. So he let it go. 

 

But losing her hadn’t felt the same as that. It was strange, and he recalled wanting to punch walls and being too sacred to at the same time, because who cared if someone died. People died all the time. The wall was just a wall. And they would still be dead. He couldn't marry the sterile fact or her death with the hot, terrible feelings that it caused.

 

And so, after a very cursory look at the battered box, seeing the weird necklace had reminded him too much of her to keep it open. So instead it stayed tied with a couple of elastic bands and a shoelace, small enough to keep out of sight, but too treasured to ever leave behind. It had become more than its contents, with barely knowing its contents at all.

 

So now he sat on his small bed, the box in front of his folded legs, while Shippou sniffed at it like it was a new species of cat or possibly food.the edges of the box were so worn they were soft to the touch, blurred edges of memories that still felt hot and a little too raw. Eventually, Inuyasha pushed shippou aside and started taking off the binding.

 

One of the rubber bands gave away immediately, aged beyond its elasticity, having done its work, gave up but left a weirdly sticky residue behind. The second band pulled some of the cardboard away with it. And the shoelace knot was so tight and caked with dirt Inuyasha eventually gave in and found a pair of scissors to cut it.

  
  


After all that, there wasn't much inside. Still the necklace, which was a gaudy, heavy thing made of black stone beads and what he suspect might be teeth, judging but their yellow discolouration. He laid it carefully on the bed though, where Shippou could sniff to his heart's content, because the weight of it reminded him of his mother, and the way it would weigh down her scarf as it lay against her neck, and the wind trying to take the fabric but the jewelry clutching it safe. The snippet of memory flashed so strongly that Inuyasha had to stare at the opposite wall for a minute before he could go on.

 

As if the necklace had broken the seal, the rest of the contents did not hold as much feeling in them. A picture on Inuyasha when he’d first come to live with her, with mad hair and oversized clothes. He hadn't even known she’d had that. A really awful play dough christmas decoration of a dog he’d given her one christmas, been so nervous about gifting but had graced the tree every christmas since then. Some post-its with their ink no faded, a terrible picture he’d drawn of her when he was ten and still young enough to think she’d like that kind of thing. And an envelope.

 

Opening it was easy. The cheap glue had long since lost stickiness and the fold opened with very a small noise. There was a single sheet of paper inside it. His mother had never been much for writing after all.

 

Shippou had lost interest in sniffing the necklace in favour of sitting on top of it, and curling up for a nap. Inuyasha watched his red fur rise and fall  for a while before he finally opened the letter that was addressed only to him.

  
  


_ Dear Puppy _

 

_ Well, I suppose than I’m dead now. If you’re reading this while I’m still alive you better this back right now, and run before I find you. If not, well, I’m sorry.  _

 

_ I hope you like the necklace, but I won’t be offended if you don’t wear it. I know it’s a little...bold.  _

 

Inuyasha twitched a tiny, ephemeral smile.

 

_ It belonged to someone important to me, and since she gave it to me when she died, it made sense to give it to you in the same way. I know you never really believe me when I tell you you’re one of my favourite boys, but you are. And I hope the necklace reminds you of that at least, until you do believe it. _

 

_ The other things are reminders of the time we had together, which I treasure still. _

 

_ There is something I do need to tell you though, something that’s important for you to know. I know you’ve always felt like the odd one out. You once told me you felt like a player in a game where you didn't know the rules, but everyone still expected you to play. Your lovely hair didn’t help with that, as I’m sure you know since I caught you trying to shave it off once. _

 

_ I never brought this up before because, well, he left long before you were brought to me, and honestly, I think I was a little afraid of how you’d react. But one of the many other boys I’ve fostered looked a bit like you. And now that you’re older, and I’m dead, you might find out about him. _

 

_ His name is Sesshomaru Fujiwara. He left me as soon as he was legal, and moved to Japan. I think he’s a bit famous now actually, as a musician. So Music, and white, bottle brush hair is what you two have in common. _

 

_ NOW LISTEN TO ME PUPPY.  _ _ He is not your brother _ _. This is important. I think part of me knew that if I told you there was something else out there, who looked like you, who shared such rarities with you, you would have run away just to find him. So I didnt. I wanted you to stay with me. Perhaps it was a little selfish but I don't regret it. _

 

_ But I can tell you now, that you aren't related. You wouldn't have believed me before, maybe you don't even now. But unlike you, Sesshomaru knew his parents before they died. And I did some digging myself, because trust me my little puppy, if you had a brother out there I would have tracked them down FOR you. It’s just luck of the draw. _

 

_ I’m sorry for keeping it from you, because you’re probably a little more than angry with me right now. It’s alright, I still love you. _

 

_ That is all I can think of to write. But I hope you remember all the things that are worth remembering when I’m gone. I hope you keep on playing your music, and try for that college you’ve been keeping brochures for. Yes, I noticed. And I think your talent should be seen my little Puppy. _

 

_ You are loved. You are precious. You are not alone. You are loved. _

  
  


_ Love, _

_ Your Mom _

  
  


_ -8- _

 

The idiot Inuyasha was acting strange, and Sesshomaru couldn't only attribute it to the added pressure of preliminary exams. But he also couldn't point it out, since he could hardly accue the guy of being  _ too quiet lately.  _ And _ hadn’t been making eye contact _ .

 

He was still doing his job, and if he was forced to admit it aloud, far more decently than when he’d first started. Sesshomaru didn't take any pleasure in faulting him, but he found less and less reasons to. For all his begrudgement over having an assistant, Inuyasha had seemed to slip into his rhythm. It was as if he was actually a good assistant, something which sesshomaru hadnt had not much experience with. Or any.

 

Still, the diligence that Inuyasha worked with wasnt out of character exactly; Sesshomaru had grown to realize after a few months working together than Inuyasha always accomplished what he set his mind to, and wasn't above correction as long as it was fair. But there was a odd stillness about him that set Sesshomaru’s teeth on edge. It was as if he’d gotten used to a volcano that usually spat and spurted angry clouds, and having it suddenly go dormant. Disquieting.

 

Still, Sesshomaru was not one to pry, for all that he was curious, and got on with his work. It wasn't as if he didn't have enough for three people.

 

It wasn't as if Sesshomaru wasn’t exemplary at his job, but distractions always found a  way. And one of them was Naraku, who made it his personal mission to make the completion of his book as difficult as possible, providing all kinds of problems and hurdles along the way that were enough to be annoying, but not enough to be noted by anyone other than Sesshomaru.

 

Said creator of distraction chose that moment to step into his office, without knocking. The only acknowledgment he offered Inuyasha was a blatant sneer, but carried on towards Sesshomaru’s desk with the same expression he always had. Even snakes could look like they were smiling, when all they actually were doing was waiting to sink their fangs into you.

 

“Good Afternoon Fujiwara.” Naraku spoke as if his sudden arrival were actual welcome.

 

Sesshomaru pointedly kept typing until his sentence was finished before turning to look at his colleague. “Hello Professor Naraku. Did we have a meeting?”

 

Naraku was, as usual, not remotely put off by Sesshomaru’s obviously unwelcome demeanor. From the corner of the room, Sesshomaru sensed Inuyasha shift in his seat, though silent still behind the screen of the computer.

 

“Not at all, but I received the latest edition of Scales and Arpeggios and there is an article in there I just had to share with you. You don't read it do you?”

Naraku knew full well that Sesshomaru had little to no interest in the magazine, which was run by students and published by the university. Only a small percentage of the rag had content in it that wasn't advertising, or from anywhere outside the grounds.

 

“Is that all? Of course I don’t read it.”

 

“The shame of you not supporting your own alma mater aside, there is a particular article that mentions you.” Naraku enunciated, and sesshomaru noticed the undertone of glee, which could only mean bad things.

 

“And yet, I am unmoved. Now if that is all-”

 

“Oh very well, I can read it to you. Not that long after all.” Naraku was already opening the magazine in his hand, at a page that had been bookmarked. He folded the cover over and around, and grinned. “I'll skip ahead to the interview with Alberto Pasquale. You know him of course.”

 

Sesshomaru did know him, since he was a well read, popular  critic in the music world with a flare for drama. Sesshomaru also had the opinion that he was a hack, but a prolific one at that. That Naraku was in his office about to read him a review by the man, made his back stiffen, and suddenly he felt cornered.

 

“No thank you.” he told the man, articulating his words, but was ignored.

 

“ _ As to the fact that Sesshomaru Fujiwara is now in a teaching position at one of the most prestigious musical colleges in the country _ ” Narkau recited happily, acting out the intonations to sound exactly as they had been written “  _ especially after all he’s been through, well, I give credit to the college but i do hope they know what they are doing. Even if his hand can play again, the mind does not heal so easily _ -”

 

“Enough.” Sesshomaru blurted. His hands were already tingling, the skin starting to itch, the sweat beginning at the back of his neck.

 

“Such genius should not go to waste. There is no rule saying that past successes should not teach young minds, but in Fujiwara’s case, there is no rule they  _ should _ either-” Naraku went on, adding hand motions to increase the impetus of the words. Sesshomaru tried to sit upright in his seat, gather himself…

 

“Stop it, jerk face.”

 

The barrage of words stopped, and both teachers eyes were turned towards Inuyasha.

The student stood between him and Naraku like an angry bush of white hair, almost blocking Naraku from view. 

“He asked you to stop. Back off.”

 

-8-

 

Inuyasha, on the best of days, was not good at keeping his opinions to himself.  It hadn't been a good day, and he’d been doing alot of thinking lately. It wasn't the first time Naraku had showed up uninvited, and it took very little math to figure that Fujiwara and  Naraku were  _ Not Friends _ . More like  _ Barely Friendly _ . It was always Naraku who came looking for Sesshomaru, always trying in little barbed ways to prod and poke at Fujiwara. His professor took it in his stride and treated the same as he did anyone, which was to say, like he didn't matter. But Inuyasha had been working alongside his professor long enough to notice that when they were on their own again, in the office or class, Fujiwara  might be a little less patient, or make an unusual mistake, more typos than usual, or simply a few more cups of tea.

 

It seemed like Naraku was out to get him, to find a tiny crack of weakness and wedge himself in there as far as possible. And after all the reading and research he’d done lately...well, it wasn’t hard to know where Fujiwara’s weak points might be. And why Naraku wanted so very badly to make his colleague even weaker. It was so obvious that he  _ hated  _ Fujiwara.

 

The decision to get up and become the wall between Fujiwara and Naraku hadn't even even gone past his brain before he’d done it, fueled by instinctive anger and the need to protect the world from asshole bullies like Naraku.

 

Who was now looking at him in stunned silence, stopped halfway through his recitation.

 

“What did you-”

 

“I said back off. Don't you have better things to do than bother us?”

 

The handsome man turned his ugly attention on Inuyasha, but he had more than enough experience with bullies not to bat an eye. 

 

“I was not even speaking to you, Uchida. Have you forgotten the tenuous thread your current student career is on? What possibly makes you think you can speak to me so rudely?”

 

“What makes you think you can barge in here whenever you like even when you obviously are as welcome as a vampire in a church?”

 

Was it possible for eyes to actually bulge enough to fall out of a person's head? Inuyasha actually leaned backwards a bit from Naraku's expression.

 

“You think you’re very clever.” he hissed, “clever enough to get in on a  _ bursary- _ ”

 

“You can throw that in my face as much as you like.” Inuyasha sneered back. “But this isn't about me. This is about you coming in here all the time just to stir the shit pot. And I  _ think  _ that  _ you  _ think you can get away with it ‘cos Professor Fujiwara won’t report you ‘cos of your history right? Because of you two being long time rivals blah blah. But you’re forgetting something really important here,  _ sir _ , that I'm here every day, and see you coming in here and causing shit. I’m a witness, you forking asshole. And I'm pretty sure the dean likes me more than he likes you. Not that its particularly hard.”

 

The silence rang in the small office. But Naraku for once, seemed at a loss for words. Still keeping eye contact with Inuyasha, he flicked the magazine negligently onto Sesshomaru’s desk and said:

 

“You can read it at your leisure.” 

 

Then he turned away, adjusted his collar which didn't need adjusting, and left

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will make this one make more sense.
> 
> I hope everyone is ok with the fact that I could not make brothers. I just can't do incest guys. Yuck.


	10. 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a while, my apologies. I haven't forgotten it, I'm just slow af.

“Leave.” Sesshomaru grated out, staring at a knot of wood in the veneer of his desktop.

 

Uchida shifted, and Sesshomaru saw his feet moving. Coming around the desk, towards him...

 

“Get out!” he roared.    
  


Inuyasha’s face finally looked afraid, which was what he wanted, and also what he didn’t want. But it was the only way to get the other to leave.   
  


“Sir, calm down...”   
  


“Fuck off!” he screamed, not caring who heard. Inuyasha was shorter by at least an inch, and it wasn’t too hard to tower over him. “I don’t want to see your stupid, ignorant face again. Take this and leave.” he threw the magazine at him. Then, marching to the door, he grabbed his satchel, wrenched on the handle and threw it out the door.    
  


Inuyasha looked shocked and anger starting to be angry too.   
  


“I do not now, nor have I ever, needed your help.” He hissed, pushing him out the door, then slamming so hard the glass rattled in its frame.

  
He turned back to his desk and leaned on it heavily, panting hard. He couldn’t stop it, the panic building in his chest. If Uchida had stayed another minute, he would have seen how his hand shook so hard he couldn’t type. He felt the sweat prickle in his armpits and the middle of his back. The feeling that thousands of little scurrying ants inside his skin was growing and the thoughts were getting increasingly senseless.    
  


His arms gave in and he slumped to the floor, and he carefully turned himself around so that his back could lean against the desk. He brought his legs up as close as they could go and let his hands clutch at his hair, pulling hard enough to cause pain. But the pain kept him grounded, kept his insides from rattling against each other so hard they would shatter. His eyes closed so tight he saw spots, and he stared into the darkness behind them, trying to calm himself down and failing. He bit his lip.

  
_ I need to be breathe, I need to be breathe _ … he chanted in his head.   
  


-8-

 

“He kicked you out?” Miroku was suitably outraged, when Inuyasha had told him what happened. “That asshole!”

 

Inuyasha took the offered beer bottle without replying. He was still hovering between righteously pissed-off and frustrating, reasonable understanding. Naturally, he kept swinging to angry at the stuck-up fuck who kicked him out, shouting at him after he’d come to his defense. But then again, as much as he wanted to have imagined it, he saw the glimpse of sweat on his professor’s brow before he’d been chucked out. And after all the reading he’d done in the last week on anxiety attacks…

 

But also, Miroku wasn’t wrong. He tipped his bottle against his friend’s, and heard the chink.

 

“Yeah well, that’s true.” he tossed back a hefty sip. “ but also...I get it…?”

 

Miroku sat down on an upturned milk crate that served as the only place to sit in Inuyasha's tiny room, other than his bed. Miroku had come by bearing beer, and Inuyasha couldn't be more grateful for it just then. In the sparse minutes he had before his shift started, he needed to relax somehow. He’d stomped his way through the halls, energy inside him making him edgy and no where for it to go.

 

“What?” Miroku replied flatly. “You, the guy who I saw lose his shit over me using the wrong towel more than once, aren't ready to go to war on this guy?”

 

Inuyasha let Shippou sniff the brim of his bottle. “Do you know about him though?”

 

“Who? Fujiwara?” Miroku sat back, took a swig while his crossed his brows and pondered. 

 

“Well….wasn't he some big shot or something…?”

 

“Something like that.” Inuyasha replied. “But more complicated...honestly I only found out about it a week ago.”

 

“What you went and looked him up?”

 

Shrugging, sipping. “Yeah.”

 

Miroku’s gaze turned a little more interested. “Huh.”

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing. So what is his deal then?”

 

Inuyasha sighed, rubbing Shippo's head hard until the fox fell over and tried to play with his hand. It wasn’t exactly a secret, it just felt kinda wrong to talk about Sesshomaru Fujiwara like he ...didn’t care? Was some distant celebrity without feelings?

 

“Turns out he was a prodigy. Really talented, learned piano at four years old or something…” Inuyasha started, wondering absently if he’d ever played the same horribly out of tune piano his mother had had in the sitting room… “he was amazing. I heard some of his music. He was composing in his teens, dude. Crazy.”

  
  


“One of those idiot savants?”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “No, more like musical genius. Anyway he graduated school and came here, and apparently he just going up and up...concerts, recitals, writing music for the philharmonic…”

 

Miroku’s eyes got wider. “Shit.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then why don't we know about him?”

 

“Well, he was in Japan for a while… and then, shit happened.” Inuyasha swallowed, feeling strange about the fact. “It’s a bit vague, but it seems he had a crazy fan turned stalker, followed him while he was out one night. And then all I can find out is that he came away with his right arm shattered, the bones in his hand and fingers basically turned to mash.”

 

There was a moment of silence, and Miroku blanched. Losing your hand when you were a musician...that was death. Not just career death, but a kind of soul culling that neither of them wanted to imagine.

 

“Fuck.” Miroku whispered, beer forgotten in his slackened hand.

 

“That's not even all of it. He had a ton of surgeries to fix his hand but even when he tried playing again, it never worked. But according to the general gossip, he was under so much pressure to perform from his sponsors and agents and all that, he still tried to play. Ended up having a massive panic attack on stage. Then his doctor was interviewed and told everyone how he’d been on medication since before the attack and it was a huge shit show.”  Inuyasha, downed his beer, like it could wash the foulness of the story from his mouth. “Then he just went underground for years. He was 22, man.”

 

“Thats….wow.”

 

“Yeah. So you get it why I can't exactly, like, freak out at him about his.” Inuyasha heaved himself up, dislodging Shippou and going to pick up his satchel.

 

Miroku frowned. “Well, sort of but not really.”

 

Inuyasha stopped at the door of his little hovel and gave a soft click of the tongue, and Shippou launched himself at his master, landing neatly on Inuyasha’s shoulders. He was getting a little big for the trick, but it was too fun to stop. Then Inuyasha looked back at his best friend.

 

“The whole time, basically, his best competition was Aloisius Naraku. So there’s obviously something going on there, I don’t know the whole story.” Inuyasha said thoughtfully.  “Anyway, I gotta get to work. Lock when you leave ok?”

 

“Dramatic much?” Miroku muttered to himself in the empty room, pensive and  disturbed.

 

-8-

 

“We have a small crisis.” 

 

Inuyasha turned to look at his boss, a picture of annoyed consternation on her face, as she looked out into the room that was already filling up.

 

“We run out of the cheap beer?” he said while swiping clean another glass and stacking neatly beside it’s mates. 

 

“No, thank god.” Annabelle answered, leaning her hip against the countertop. He followed her line of sight, and saw a gaggle of freshmen type looking girls, seemingly clustered into bundle over...oh yes, it was another girl. The ambient music and low hubbub of the bar meant that he couldn't hear anything in particular, but he thought he recognized this particular ritual.

 

“Oh shit, someone's crying.” he said and Annabelle humphed with agreed sentiment.

 

“While you were meditating over clean glasses I was brought into the circle.” she told him with a ghost of a sneer. “Apparently today’s her birthday and her boyfriend dumped her. Or something. I skimmed.”

 

“Well, we could give her a shot on the house?” inuyasha suggested, not following as to why this was their problem. And in spite of Annabelle’s snark, he’d actually been deep in thought on his afternoons encounter still, puzzling over new information and unfamiliar experiences.

 

“Ugh I don't want to encourage her to stay.” Annabelle’s whined, world's most unsympathetic bartender.

 

“Hello?” Inuyasha remarked. “This is a bar? People comes to drown their sorrows and forget their midterms with the use of booze?”

 

“And some chick having a giant soggy weep in my bar will put a wet blanket on the whole place. They might get a round or two, but no one else will.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged. It wasn't his circus after all. He just poured  the drinks. “Well you can't kick out customers.”

 

“But you can help me out.”

 

Just then Shippou nosed his way between them, sniffing at their ankles and giving them a perked-ear glance before sauntering off elsewhere.

 

“Excuse me?” Inuyasha replied, laughingly. “Like what? Kick them out  _ for  _ you?”

 

“I was thinking something less aggressive.” Annabelles told him shrewdly. “I think that a song just for her sung by a cute boy with an even cuter fox would make her forget her problems just long enough to snap out of it.”

 

“Hell no.” Inuyasha said flatly. But Annabelle had snuck a hand under the counter and brought out his guitar, eyebrow raised. She obviously didn't expect him to say no. “That’s for slow nights when there's no one around.”

 

“You can't study to be an artist and keep your light under a bushel.” she lectured laying the guitar on the table top and sliding it over. He grabbed at it, as she knew he would, to stop any accidental scratches in the veneer. “You have a great voice. Just get up there and grace us with your god-given gift for a few minutes.”

 

She indicated with her thumb the small stage, more suited to a coffee cafe than a bar. It was small, barely a couple of square meters of raised platform, with a microphone standing lonely at its rim. Inuyasha’s eyes were drawn aside again, and he saw the girl-cluster again, but this time they were all looking his way. Some looked hopeful, some surprised and the centerpiece of the group looked like a shocked racoon with mascara smeared in giant uneven circles around her eyes. His head whipped round to Annabelle again, who was looking determinedly innocent.

 

“You already told them I would didn't you?” he growled.

 

“Her heart is  _ broken  _ Inuyasha. Go be the cute white haired boy with a fox pet, and sing it back together.”

 

“You should be writing lyrics.” he shot at her, taking off his apron and snatching the guitar up again. 

 

“You’ll be a hero. And the main character in all her wet dreams.”

 

“Yuck.” he said, escaping and going around the counter. He offered a shy wave to the girls who watched him no, following his path to the stage, and got some watery smiles in return. He pulled the strap over his head, since he’d have to stand, and clicked his tongue. Shippou materialised from somewhere and tooted up behind him, jumping up onto his back and shoulders, nuzzling his ear, asking why he’d been called.

 

“We gotta show face, boy.” he murmured to the fox, and had his ear nibbled in response. The trick had already done its job anyway, the girls tittered, and some of the other patrons looked up and pointed, smiling, telling their friends. The place had developed the unique reputation of having a tame fox that turned up every now and then, and might be persuaded to be petted by someone other than his pale haired owner one in a while. Annabelle obviously appreciated the added draw.

 

Shippou sniffed the microphone when Inuyasha came up to it, adjusting it;s height and turning on the switch.

 

“Uh, hi.” he said, testing the feedback. “I heard there was a broken heart in the room tonight.”

There were some  _ awws _ , people looking around. The girl in question did not respond, but her eyes were glued to Inuyasha, her hurt on pause. He felt nervous.

 

He didn't play much, not for ears other than his own. But Annabelle had a point, if he was going to make the world hear his words, his voice, it was just something he’d have to learn to do.

 

“Well, that sucks.” he said with a hefty sigh. “Breakups suck. Asshole boyfriends suck. I'll see what i can do here...well, here’s an old one, but I think it probably fits.”

 

He strummed a little, finding the right note and adjusting a few strings minutely, all the while letting the music filter into his mind, thinking of how to change something electronic into something humbler, simpler while still keeping the mood of it. Then he took a breathe, making sure his throat was clear and sang:

 

“ _ When you first left me, I was left wanting more… _ ”

 

He sang the Lily Allen sing with a jaunt, an extra touch of sarcasm, letting his hands fall across the strings in a rhythm that made up for the lack of drums. When the girls caught on, he saw it in their eyes, and so did the rest of the bar. By the time he reached the chorus, the broken hearted freshmens friends were singing along, loudly, tring all ways to get her to join in. By the second chorus, everyone in the bar was singing, off key and enjoying it, and those who didn't know the words joined in on the ‘lalalalala” parts with extra enthusiasm. The energy was so good, that he let the song bleed into the next, another female singer with an aloof take on breakups.

 

“ _ Send my love to your new lo-hu-ver- _ ” he directed through the mic, and the crowd sang along. 

He was another 3 songs into the set before he stopped, feeling sweaty and thirsty. The mood of the room was good, and there were no more tears. Annabelle was looking smug, and Inuyasha just ignored her, unable to hide his smile.

 

“Night folks! Hope you enjoyed the free entertainment. And now back to our usually scheduled bar soundtrack.”

 

Annabelle followed onto his salute flawlessly, putting on the soundtrack to Cocktail as he stepped off amidst clapping and some cheering.

 

“You’re a star!” Annabelles fake-shrieked, but her smile was wide and real.

 

“You’re a dick.” Inuyasha replied, his smile just as real. “You had the mic ready and everything.”

 

“Real friends accept you as you are, but also encourage you to live your best life.” she said without a trace of shame. “Now take over the taps. I've got to go into the back.”

 

Shippou, who had removed himself from Inuyasha's shoulders early in the performance and retreated back behind the bar top, followed her, and Inuyasha got down to it. The adrenaline still sung in his veins, and his lips felt tingly, his brows sweaty. He did a rare thing which was to wrestle his hair into a thick mess of a braid, before getting on with the business of pouring drinks and getting people a little more loose than they would be otherwise. Patrons came up to praise him, or congratulate. Since most of their clientele were students from the same college, having someone singing for their bread and butter was nothing new or particularly impressive. But some older guys told him he was good, and another told him he had an excellent voice. They were all just students, but he was still thrilled to hear the kids of things only his mother had said to him before. 

 

The girl and her entourage were not from the college, and they were a little too starry eyed for Inuyasha to be comfortable with. Two of them came to the bar, leaning suggestively onto it and flattering him so blatantly he laughed, which they misread as interest. He filled her mugs, but only managed to escape when Anabelle shoved him aside with her hip and barked at him to go unpack the new crates in the back. He leapt to it, nodding his head like a good lapdog, internally relieved and ignoring the disappointment that craned its neck after him.

 

There weren’t actually that many crates, and they weren’t urgent, but Annabelle knew when to rescue him from awkward flirtatious encounters, and was far better at dealing with unwelcome attention. Well, to be more precise, she could be rude and get away with it since she owned the dam place. If Inuyasha was left to deal with that kind of thing for too long, he got ‘blunt’.

Still he took a chance to go out the back door for a ten minute breather of non-smoggy air in the space behind the bar. In the smaller hours, the only people out were people like him, and the patrons of the bar. He took some deep breaths, and recalled the feeling of being on stage, the way he’d flowed easily from track to track, kept the music going without thinking about it. The sweat on his back, the slight hoarseness in his throat from not warming up first, and belting it out anyway. The way he’d curved around the mic, throwing the notes into it’s waiting mesh, his breathing steaming the metal surface…

 

“Was that your first time on stage?”

 

A voice crashed into his thoughts, chasing away the splinters of them and he whipped his head towards the voice.

 

“Professor Fujiwara?” Inuyasha was a little breathless, and hadn't realised there’d been a smile on his face until it had gone.

 

“Hello.” the older man nodded. He was dressed neatly as usual, with the only change to his usual attire being a jacket that look like it was made from that really soft brown leather that 

 

Inuyasha would never be able to afford. Even if he wanted to wear something like that.

 

“What are you…?” Inuyasha tried, but his thoughts were still trying to arrange themselves to make sense, and being slow about it.

 

His professor’s head inclined once towards the door that Inuyasha had come out of. “Rin was in the audience.”

 

Inuyasha was silent for a long beat. And then another.

 

“For fuck’s sakes.” he said eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:  
>  New Lover by Adele  
> Smile by Lilly Allen.
> 
> Some of you might be getting a little frustrated with the slow burn. For me, I want to portray th process of love, with a side point of sex, so it's gonna take some time :)


End file.
